Ruy Teixeira: Economic Populism: Opiate of the Democrats

These points aren't new/unique...but IMO they're pretty much exactly right.

Americans don't particularly dislike the rich.

Who they do dislike are the cultural elites.

   In '24, they basically voted against Woketarianism. They are fed up with the college-educated managerial/bureaucratic class telling them how to live their lives...and, of course, in particular: with the fact that those elites have now accepted a wide array of utterly insane views (on e.g. race, "gender," immigration)...and so the way these elites are telling them they must live (and think) are all batshit crazy.

   It was bad enough when they were badgering us to e.g. eat less fat (though they were probably wrong about that). It's a different thing entirely when they're telling us that we must believe that women have penises, some boys are really girls, borders are racist and all that nonsense.

   Teixeira doesn't say this, but others have: the left can't shake Marxism. And they can't get it through their heads that most Americans basically admire the rich and aspire to wealth themselves. Yet another failed Marxist prediction: Americans don't really have economic class consciousness. But we are fed up with those who consider themselves our cultural betters. (Hell, I'm fed up with the cultural elite...and I are one... (if the dregs of the professoriate count as part of the cultural elite, anyway...))

   Some think this is one partial explanation for Trump's success--and for the left's hatred of him. He's filthy rich--but, culturally, basically a regular guy. So normal Americans relate to him culturally, and admire him economically. Whereas the cultural elites hate/resent him on both counts. But mostly because he's gauche...like the great unwashed masses...

   Well, whether that last part is right or not, the Teixeira piece is good.