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Walter Horn's avatar

Excellent, important piece. Discouraging, because extremely well argued. (I was glad you didn't try to morph it into something about the importance of creating additional Parties: this problem is largely--if not wholly--other, I think.) Anyhow, it's the best thing of yours that I have read to date. Thanks.

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Morris Fiorina's avatar

Lee, I think I have more contact with working class people than most academics and while your third point about Democrats neglecting to make an argument about morality may be accurate, I think you overlook the fact that the Republicans ARE making a moral argument. Democrats tend to ignore the question of deservingness. Especially among older working-class people there is a belief that government support should only go to those who deserve it: If you are an able-bodied person and not working, you don’t deserve benefits; ditto if you are in the country illegally. Thus, if Republicans claim that only such people will be kicked off Medicaid, that’s fine for many people. Closure of health clinics and rural hospitals would be a more effective counter-argument.

Although not relevant now, sometime in the future we’re going to have the same argument when it comes to reforming social security. People I know cite examples of others they know who are gaming social security disability—able-bodied people who can do as well getting disability as working low-paying jobs. When Republicans go after social security one of their defenses will be that they’re only going after lazy people who should be working.

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