We all get forced to talk about identity politics a lot, but what is it, really? According to the dictionary, it is “a tendency for people of a particular religion, race, social background, etc., to form exclusive political alliances, moving away from the traditional broad-based party politics. In other words, identity politics is the philosophy of voting (or counting on votes) based on your cultural identity rather than the specific pros and cons of candidates.
For a long time, the left was proud of their adherence to identity politics. They were proud to be the party that received 90% of the African American vote without promising them anything in return. They said loudly and often that they were the representatives of minorities and the oppressed and overburdened. That’s how they claimed to be the good guys. They fought for all of the underdogs (or so they said), and that gave them virtue.
Then, Donald Trump came and threw everything into chaos. He suggested that the residents of rural America were the true minority — bullied under the rule of the coastal metropolises. He shattered racial divisions and instead suggested that working-class America was suffering because they were dominated by the elite. It worked, and now the left has to find a response.
You’ll find that response in this video. The very idea that Kamala Harris would shun the phrase “identity politics” should speak volumes to the state of the Democratic Party. Trust that it sounds much better from her lips. Take a look.
