The Hysterical Style in American Politics
Inventing crises to advance unpopular agendas.
January 23, 2024 by Victor Davis Hanson 15 Comments
The post-Joe McCarthy era and the candidacy of Barry Goldwater once prompted liberal political scientist Richard Hofstadter to chronicle a supposedly long-standing right-wing “paranoid style” of conspiracy-fed extremism.
But far more common, especially in the 21st Century, has been a left-wing, hysterical style of inventing scandals and manipulating perceived tensions for political advantage.
Or, in the immortal words of former President Barack Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, “Never let a serious crisis go to waste.”
The 2008 economic emergency was created on September 7, with the near collapse of the home mortgage industry.
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