Michael Barone has an exceptional column in the WSJ about American exceptionalism. His reading of the Joe Lieberman defeat/Ned Lamont victory is that it is a sign that significant portions of the Democratic Party have parted ways with its traditional "lunch pail" constituency. The new constituency is a an wealthy, educated and elite one that does not believe that American traditions are worth defending. Evidence?
As an observant Orthodox Jew, [Lieberman] has consistently portrayed himself as a man of religious faith, while one-quarter of John Kerry voters in 2004 described their religion as "other" or "none." He has been a critic of vulgarity and obscenity in television programs and movies, while the Democrats enjoy massive financial and psychic support from Hollywood. He has supported school-choice measures, while one of his party's major organized constituencies is the teachers' unions. And he has been an American exceptionalist--a believer in the idea that this is a special and specially good country--while his party's base is increasingly made up of people with attitudes that are, in professor Samuel Huntington's term, transnational. In their view, our country is no better than any other, and in many ways it's a whole lot worse.
(snip)
Now it's different. In 2004, pollster Scott Rasmussen asked two questions relating to American exceptionalism: Is this country generally fair and decent? Would the world be better off if more countries were more like America? About two-thirds of voters answered yes to both questions. About 80% of George W. Bush voters answered yes. John Kerry voters were split down the middle, with yeses outnumbering noes by small margins. That's reminiscent of the story about the Teamster Union business agent who was in the hospital and received a bouquet of flowers with a note that read, "The executive board wishes you a speedy recovery by a vote of 9-6." Not exactly a wholehearted endorsement.
It is unclear what what proportion of the Democratic Party such voters make up. For the sake of the Democratic Party and the nation, let's hope it is relatively small.
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