A left more orthodox than the religious right ever was
The woke left may be the new religious right: preachy, censorious, humorless, judgmental, constantly policing popular culture for impure thoughts. In fact, the new left compares unfavorably: Christian conservatives at least believed in redemption, even if it did not always manifest itself in their political witness. They also helped Republicans win elections from the White House to the local school board. The wokesters hurt even Democrats who run away from them and lose in places like San Francisco.
In the 1990s, Democrats managed to use the religious right as foils, making inroads in the suburbs and with the once-Republican Asian-American voting bloc to hold the book-burners at bay. But at that time, Democrats generally didn't get too far to the left of the public, expressing respect for religion and only embracing same-sex marriage after public opinion had conclusively turned.
Yes, there were left-wingers saying offensive things on cultural topics and Democrats were moving gradually leftward. But Bill Clinton had the left hemmed in, and he won national elections. A big exception was abortion, where social conservatives (with an assist from the Supreme Court) shifted from a full frontal assault on Roe v. Wade to more popular incremental abortion restrictions. Democrats found themselves defending partial-birth abortion, though even on that issue there were outliers — Joe Biden voted to ban it, for instance.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Now on critical race theory, cancel culture, immigration, crime, and a host of social issues, Democrats find themselves in partial-birth abortion territory: associated with — and in some cases defending — positions to the left of most of their own voters. And maybe that will make it a self-resolving problem: because rank-and-file Democrats often reject this leftward trajectory, the police defunders and school board wokesters.
But in the meantime, Republicans are winning on the culture war and parents rights, threatening to define the Democratic Party even when it nominates candidates like Biden, who at 79 probably isn't up on the latest progressive fads. Democrats are aware of the problem, but can they solve it by November? Bill Clinton isn't walking through that door.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
W. James Antle III is the politics editor of the Washington Examiner, the former editor of The American Conservative, and author of Devouring Freedom: Can Big Government Ever Be Stopped?.
-
The ‘menopause gold rush’Under the Radar Women vulnerable to misinformation and marketing of ‘unregulated’ products
-
Voting Rights Act: SCOTUS’s pivotal decisionFeature A Supreme Court ruling against the Voting Rights Act could allow Republicans to redraw districts and solidify control of the House
-
No Kings rally: What did it achieve?Feature The latest ‘No Kings’ march has become the largest protest in U.S. history
-
Marjorie Taylor Greene’s rebellion: Maga hardliner turns on TrumpIn the Spotlight The Georgia congresswoman’s independent streak has ‘not gone unnoticed’ by the president
-
Will Republicans kill the filibuster to end the shutdown?Talking Points GOP officials contemplate the ‘nuclear option’
-
Millions turn out for anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ ralliesSpeed Read An estimated 7 million people participated, 2 million more than at the first ‘No Kings’ protest in June
-
Are inflatable costumes and naked bike rides helping or hurting ICE protests?Talking Points Trump administration efforts to portray Portland and Chicago as dystopian war zones have been met with dancing frogs, bare butts and a growing movement to mock MAGA doomsaying
-
Shutdown: Are Democrats fighting the right battle?Feature Democrats are holding firm on health insurance subsidies as Trump ramps up the pain by freezing funding and vowing to cut more jobs
-
Could Democrats lose the New Jersey governor’s race?Today’s Big Question Democrat Mikie Sherrill stumbles against Republican Jack Ciattarelli
-
Gaza peace deal: why did Trump succeed where Biden failed?Today's Big Question As the first stage of a ceasefire begins, Trump’s unique ‘just-get-it-done’ attitude may have proven pivotal to negotiations
-
‘Every argument has a rational, emotional and rhetorical component’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
