Wednesday, February 25, 2004

GOP, a winning contradiction

Here's an interesting (Vern-acularized) article in English Le Monde discussing the contradictory but winning "anti-elitism" strategy deployed by the GOP. It makes an obvious point that I've been rather obsessed with: how the GOP uses religious language and cultural populism to tap into middle America's historical resentment against coastal intellectuals and the highbrow, which are now somehow synonymous with the party of the secular elites -- the Democrats. But I'm still interested in how the GOP have been able to sell their economic elitism as "liberty." The way the GOP have been able to combine these contradictory impulses into one winning message begs a book-length analysis.

But as an unapologetic cultural elitist, I say "Bring. It. On." My foie gras is bigger than your foie gras, you Cheetos chomping thugs!