Populism versus Elitism

You are here: Blog / Populism versus Elitism

Hot Topics:

12:01 PM, Sep 1, 2008 • By MATTHEW CONTINETTI

Single Page Print Larger Text Smaller Text Alerts

Elites in the media and in both political parties don't like John McCain's choice of Alaska governor Sarah Palin to be his running mate. But conservative activists are incredibly enthused. It is likely that, if Palin performs well, popular opinion at large will also respond favorably to her.

What is going on here? A phenomenon that has occurred, as Jeffrey Bell has pointed out, time and again in modern American politics: the elite opinion stream and the popular opinion stream are running against one another. What has tended to happen over the years, of course, is that the popular opinion stream wins - not only politically, but (most of the time) on the merits as well.

« Previous Post

Conservative Intelligence
Satirical Wit
Foreign Policy Insight
Sophisticated Perspective

Ethan Epstien, in a New York System state of mind

A Parody

A Parody

From the Scrapbook

From The Scrapbook

Should Romney Retrench on Gay Marriage?
Crucified by Government

Washington plays by TSA rules.
No Spin Zone

Reflections from the thinking man’s knuckleballer.
‘On My Behalf’

Really?
Action in Character

A film without pretension about warriors as heroes.
Birth of a Nation

With American evangelicals on the ground in South Sudan.
Will Gay Marriage Hurt Obama with African Americans?
Our Age of Anxiety

Romney’s challenge is to address the deep uneasiness in America and point the way to a comeback.
Big Wheels

The American and his/her car.
Two Cheers For Morsi