The Real Engine of Blue America
There are no Blue states, only Blue cities, where tax eaters rule.
~~by Steven Malanga
Is it really true that America is politically divided between conservative Red states in the southern and middle sections of the country and liberal Blue states on both coasts? Not exactly: a close look at the district-by-district voting patterns of the coastal states in the 2004 elections brings into crystal-clear focus the real nature of our political divisions. Theres really no such thing as a Blue state, only Blue metropolitan regions. Indeed, the electoral maps of some states that went for John Kerry in 2004 consist mostly of Red suburban and rural counties surrounding deep Blue cities.
What makes these cities so Blue is a multifaceted liberal coalition that ranges from old-style industrial unionists and culturally liberal intellectuals, journalists, and entertainers to tort lawyers, feminists, and even politically correct financiers. But within this coalition, one group stands out as increasingly powerful and not quite in step with the old politics of the Left: those who benefit from an expanding government, including public-sector employees, workers at organizations that survive off government money, and those who receive government benefits. In cities, especially, this group has seized power from the taxpayers, as the vast expansion of the public sector that has taken place since the beginning of the War on Poverty has finally reached a tipping point. In New York City, this coalition has helped roll back some of the reforms of the Giuliani years. In California cities and towns, it is thwarting the expansion of private businesses, Wal-Mart above all. In nearly 100 municipalities, it has imposed higher costs on tens of thousands of businesses by persuading city councils to pass living-wage laws.
The New New Left : How American Politics Works Today
The New New Left concentrates its political energies toward larger government and higher taxes-to benefit the public sector.
Thursday, March 03, 2005
There are no Blue states.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment