
Ann Coulter believes the left has 'lost its mind'. Should we listen? - Tomte
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/17/ann-coulter-believes-the-left-has-lost-its-mind-should-we-listen
======
convivialdingo
Collective hysteria has affected the extremes of both parties and their
outliers as well.

If politics follows society, and society follows individuals then I’ve got
real worries for any future in numerous first world nations.

The ultimatum for a societal decline is always political domination followed
by authoritarianism.

This isn’t party/wing exclusive either. It’s merely a morbid goalpost which we
used to fear, but are inching towards nevertheless.

------
bediger4000
Ann Coulter has been a fierce partisan her entire career. I think this is
indisputable, whether you like her or not. Her judgement in these matters is
questionable.

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AnimalMuppet
Of course they have. So have the right. (And it's not a new thing. The left
didn't like Reagan or, worse, Bush. The right disliked Clinton even more. The
left was somewhat deranged about Bush Jr., the right was flat-out nuts about
Obama, and the left is now absolutely out of their minds about Trump.)

If the left wants to win the next election, they need to run someone who is
not too far left. They need to either stop holding working-class people in
contempt, or start doing a better job of disguising it. If that counts as
"listening to Ann Coulter", so be it.

~~~
mullingitover
Clinton was centrist, not a leftist. Same with Obama. The left didn't abandon
the working class, they were abandoned by the centrists who were trying
fruitlessly to appeal to the right.

For every step the democrats took to the right, the republicans took two, and
by the time the working class had been abandoned by both parties Trump was
able to swoop in and point at how the democrats had failed them. He wasn't
wrong, but the democrats did so in their effort to be centrist. Continuing to
do so is suicide, there's a political vacuum created by the extinction of the
left as a political force. The party that fills it will win, and it's obvious
that the republicans can't fake their love of the working class forever.

~~~
AnimalMuppet
The Democrats have _not_ been moving right (except perhaps briefly during
Reagan). Obama was not to the right of Clinton; Clinton was not to the right
of Carter; and Carter was not to the right of Kennedy.

And Clinton and Obama were left of center, within the context of US politics.
(And since this is a discussion of US politics, US definitions are the normal
ones to use.)

> it's obvious that the republicans can't fake their love of the working class
> forever.

"We love you, vote for us" beats "you're deplorable, vote for us", even when
nobody believes that the love actually exists. But yes, the Democrats could
win if they recover their concern for the working class. (I presume that's
what you meant by "the left as a political force".)

~~~
mullingitover
> And Clinton and Obama were left of center, within the context of US
> politics. (And since this is a discussion of US politics, US definitions are
> the normal ones to use.)

Even the _Cato Institute_ thinks Clinton was to the right of Bush[1].
Meanwhile, sorry, but I'm going to stick with the real meaning of the terms.

By the time Obama was elected, the democrats so far to the right they were
simply trying to offer republicans the very health care policy that they
themselves crafted (in Nixon's era) and implemented (in Mass under Romney) and
by that time republicans had gone so far right that even that was intolerable.
Democrats weren't even considering single payer as an opening bargaining
position.

[1] [https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/was-clinton-
mor...](https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/was-clinton-more-
conservative-bush)

~~~
AnimalMuppet
I never said that Clinton was to the left of Bush. I said that he was to the
left of Carter. [Edit: I actually said "not to the right", which left open the
possibility of a tie.]

And, by sticking to the "real" definition of the terms, you are hindering your
ability to communicate to the people you're trying to talk to. Your choice,
but I don't think you're making a wise one.

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gnusty_gnurc
At least with the Democratic primary, there's three crusty old whites leading
the polls, and the only gay candidate is drowning in petty race and class-
based critiques. The field doesn't inspire any confidence they're capable of
lighting a fire under people to beat Trump.

------
mullingitover
The 'left' doesn't really exist as a political entity in the US. There's a
centrist party (even the furthest left of center in the 'left' is merely
advocating what would be considered pure centrism in more advanced countries)
and a right-wing party.

