THEY ALWAYS SHOW YOU WHAT YOU’RE AFRAID OF: “Liberals know which politics threatens their hegemony….”

Plus:

The GOP establishment, which has long claimed to want inroads with minority voters, simultaneously refuses to consider actually fighting for any of the issues which would make inroads with those voters. I believe that this is because the GOP establishment is largely Northeastern WASP mixed with a larger white-collar managerial class. Breitbart’s dictum that “politics is downstream from culture” was correct. The GOPs politics is downstream from its culture, which, at least in terms of the party leadership: very restrained, very “dignified,” very managerial and technocratic. They seem to believe that if they’re just slightly better than the Dems, blacks and hispanics will flock to pull the lever for more corporate tax cuts and endless military interventions.

Trump was a rejection of this in favor of a more blue-collar, scots-irish hillbilly, evangelical, latin machismo mixed-up culture. Pro-US, pro-working man, pro-American Industries. Trump also understood that political theater isn’t bad, it’s necessary. People want to feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves, and political theater helps do that. MAGA isn’t merely a political slogan, it has become a cultural identifier. There’s no policy position associated with boat parades and American flag bikinis and guerilla-style political pranks, but they do work to help cement your coalition with a group identity, “we’re the fun ones, and we’re not going to apologize for it.” Once that’s done, you can figure out policies that help the group.

Also: “It is pointless for Morning Joe to spend airtime on the Ohio Senatorial Primary candidates. The number of Ohio Republicans that watch Morning Joe has to be infinitesimal.” I dunno, if they can drum J.D. up into a Trump-like bad guy maybe they can get some of their viewers back.

Related: Dems are losing the multiracial working class on basic lifestyle issues.