re: Better strap in - the frickery over the next 7 days will be incredible

quote:

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Dang, Roger, as annoyingly often as you toss “populism” around, I think it should be clear to most that you continue to be unaware of what it entails. All due respect.

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DJ, We are in a strange interregnum, in which the Republican Party, which nominally stood for small government and relative individual freedom (yeah, I know), is now dominated by what is, not really an intellectual framework, but is actually more of a visceral reaction to the bizarre Woke period of the last 15 years.

A lot of traditional conservatives (I count myself in this group) are confused and worried about the future of the Republican Party. Populism is really just anger at what has been happening. The anger is justified, but what happens when the forces of populism triumph and are harnessed? And I don’t mean by Trump; I mean after Trump.

I’ve been a skeptical supporter of Donald Trump, and I’ve been viscerally happy at his two election victories - I mean so happy that I was euphoric. But in my sober moments I do worry about the direction of populism.

I’m heartened by two things: the first is that in his first term DJT proved to be a competent governor who, although he said a bunch of nutso things (eg absorbing Canada) he actually did some very smart things. Maybe he will again.

Second, JD Vance seems like the sort who can help give MAGA populism an intellectual direction, similar to what Milton Friedman and Wm Buckley did in the 70’s and 80’s.

All of this to suggest, don’t be too cynical of the anti-populists, just as we conservatives should not reflexively attack the populists. These groups, to be ultimately successful, need to make common cause in the future. If not, the forces of decline will dominate. And none of us want that.