Legal Commentary

(Occasionally) Patronizing Beltway Bloggers

By Big Tent Democrat

Matt Yglesias writes [I exchanged e-mails with Matt in which he made it clear to me that he does not think of himself as apart from the progressive activist movement. He sees himself as also subject to the need to "feel good." Matt stated that this need cuts across all ideological lines and groups. This seems right to me (though I do believe that "feeling good" is largely tied to believing that the policies are good.) I'm glad he communicated with me about this.]:

[T]he Obama administration points to an impressive array of accomplishment. Their health-care bill is the most significant progressive achievement in more than 40 years. Financial regulation, the new START treaty, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, etc. are nothing to sneer at. But something the administration barely seems to recognize is that political activists do not live on policy accomplishments alone. Small donations, volunteer time, and even voting itself are undertaken primarily in exchange for psychological benefits. People engaged in the process want—need—to feel good about themselves for doing it.

(Emphasis supplied.) [More...] The funny thing about the ridiculous Journolist brouhaha is that what is really objectionable, at least to me, is not the secret e-mail list, but instead the completely patronizing attitude that many of the 'Listers have always displayed toward progressives not as enthralled with Obama's policy accomplishments as they are. Apparently, it is unfathomable for Yglesias to imagine that maybe, just maybe, progressive activists are disappointed about the Democrats' policy accomplishments, and that this disappointment might be anchored in rational analysis. They attribute progressive dissatisfaction to "psychological" reasons. This is patronizing pathetic stuff. That was always the problem I had with the 'Listers. And still do.

Speaking for me only

Full post as published by TalkLeft on July 26, 2010 (boomark / email).