12 - Eric Levitz on Why Democrats Should Wage a Vicious Class War in 2020

Eric Levitz is a political analyst and Associate Editor at New York Magazine, where he writes an alarming number of “good takes” on a huge range of topics. I think Eric’s columns are the rare combination of well-written and well-argued. I don’t know of any political columnists who are more empirically grounded. I feel substantially better-informed having read him. 

We cover: 

The danger of moderation in extraordinary times, the climate crisis and the Green New Deal, how our identities inform our political choices, the time-honored Republican strategy of stoking racial fears to cling to power, why Democrats should wage a vicious class war in 2020, the fallacy of thinking about politics along one dimension, the surprising popularity of some radical left positions, the mind-numbing democratic debates, how Biden could run away with the whole thing, Bernie's decision to lean into the democratic socialist label, how Eric would describe his job, bias and the myth of objectivity in political writing, and Eric's hottest takes.

Links:

Eric's writing:

Moderate Democrats’ Delusions of ‘Prudence’ Will Kill Us All

Tribalism Isn’t Our Democracy’s Main Problem. The Conservative Movement Is.

Democrats Must Reach Out to Moderates in 2020 — By Waging a Vicious Class War

Here’s Who Won (and Lost) the Second Democratic Debate, Night One

Here’s Who Won (and Lost) the Second Democratic Debate, Night Two

We’re All ‘Socialists’ Now

Eric’s writing at NY Mag

Eric’s Twitter: @EricLevitz

Other links:

There’s now an official Green New Deal. Here’s what’s in it.

Video: Fred Hampton on racism and capitalism

Article on last place aversion: Avoiding Last Place: Some Things We Don't Outgrow

VERMONT SOCIALIST PLANS MAYORALTY WITH BIAS TOWARD POOR