Zakaria: ‘Increasingly Clear’ Dems’ Problems Have Little To Do with Economics

EXCERPT:

ZAKARIA: “The only disagreement within the party is about how sharp-edged and left wing that message should be. But, it is increasingly clear that the problem for Democrats has little to do with economics, and much more to do with the cluster of issues they would rather not revisit, about culture, social mores, and national identity. The Democratic economic agenda is broadly popular with the public. More people prefer the party’s views to those of Republicans on taxes, poverty reduction, health care, government benefits, and even climate change and energy policy. The Democracy Fund commissioned a comprehensive study of voters in the 2016 presidential election, and one scholar Lee Drutman set out its first key finding. 'The primary conflict structuring the two parties involves questions of national identity, race and morality.' Focusing in on the people who voted for Obama in 2012, and then Trump in 2016, Drutman found they were remarkably close to the Democratic Party on economic issues. But they were far to the right on their attitudes toward immigrants, blacks and Muslims."