Interesting econo-political discussion sparked by Russ Douthat writing on "liberaltarianism" at The Atlantic. Here is Arnold Kling:
To put it another way, I see a difference between Ronald Reagan and Sarah Palin. To the average lefty, both of them are morons. I think Reagan was genuinely engaged with profound ideas. Palin may have talent and charisma, but I do not think she could explain Hayek.
I see elite Democrats as exploiting "the poor" in order to pursue their own drive for power. People who genuinely care about the poor work with the poor and give their own money to the poor. Liberals mostly just pose about caring for the poor and take money from others (including many who are not well off) to burnish that pose.
On the other hand, I see elite Republicans as exploiting the fervently religious. My guess is that the top layer of Republican policymakers is a lot less hard-core about faith and religious issues than they care to let on in public.
Related posts: