Democrats have become out of touch with mainstream cultural and moral values, overly invested in identity politics, and have lost focus on core issues like protecting vulnerable people and ensuring social safety nets. This has distorted progressive thinking and alienated many voters.
Matthew Yglesias has shifted his view significantly, recognizing that the focus on political correctness and identity politics was overblown and harmful to the Democratic Party's ability to address issues like crime and police brutality effectively.
Daniel Penny was acquitted of all charges in the Jordan Neely subway incident. However, some left-wing media and politicians portrayed the case in a morally deranged manner, often focusing on racial dynamics rather than the facts of the case.
Sam Harris argues that race is often referenced in ways that are politically and ethically suspect, leading to moral confusion. He believes that changing skin color in a situation can alter people's moral intuitions, which is a sign of flawed thinking and should be avoided.
Yglesias suggests focusing on class and wealth inequality as a race-blind approach to addressing disparities. This would help disproportionately benefit people of color without invoking politically divisive racial categories.
Yglesias believes Biden's legacy will be meager, as his presidency failed to deliver on promises of stability and a return to traditional Democratic values. His inability to prevent a Trump comeback further diminishes his legacy.
Yglesias is concerned about Trump's unpredictability, potential authoritarian tendencies, and the possibility of further damaging American institutions. He also worries that Trump's low character and erratic behavior could have severe consequences for the country.
Yglesias believes that while Trump has a unique personalistic appeal, elements of his crude nationalism and populism have deep roots in the Republican Party. If Trump loses, there may be a return to a more normal Republican Party, but his victory could solidify these trends.
The Democrats' failure to address the immigration issue at the border was politically disastrous due to its terrible optics, which alienated many voters and highlighted the party's inability to manage a critical issue effectively.
Sam Harris speaks with Matthew Yglesias about the future of Democratic politics. They discuss where the Democrats went wrong, the failure of identity politics, the Left’s reaction to the Daniel Penny case, what a second Trump term might look like, immigration and the border, gender and racial disparities in crime, wealth inequality, Matthew’s “nine principles for a common sense Democrat comeback,” and other topics. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe).
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That’s why Sam Harris created the Waking Up) app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life’s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.