Genuine Culture War: Accept No Substitutes

Well, it’s happened. As I write this, Democratic pollsters are sounding the alarm about the not exactly remote possibility that their candidates could be vulnerable to “culture war” arguments from the GOP. As far as I can tell by “culture war,” they do not have in mind issues such as abortion or (remember when?) prayer in public schools, but a somewhat looser grouping of enmities and half-formed resentments. The bottom line is that Republicans want to portray their opponents as out-of-touch, hypocritical, and schoolmarmish, utterly joyless scolds, dupes of facile quasi-religious manias, and all-around haters of fun.

They’re probably right about all of these things. I fully expect Democrats to lose ground in the House and the Senate; in fact, Republicans gaining control of both chambers next year is not an absurd hypothetical. But the reasons why are worth considering.

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