They're not divisive enough. Not nearly enough racism.
Populism works because you need to create an enemy within that will cause your following, the majority, to feel as though they are persecuted. As though they are victims.
This was pretty easy to do with white conservatives, the majority, because you can just tell them brown people are stealing their money and causing crime and drugs or whatever. Oh, and also woke, because women on TV. It's a lot harder to do with the left.
I mean, who do you point to? The bourgeoisie, typically, but uh oh - they own everything. They fund your campaign, and your news. So... who is going to spread your populist messaging? That's, like, the most important part of populism. That's why Radio started WWII.
Also, in the US we have a culture of rampant individualism. We don't hate the bourgeoisie here because we all have a delusion that we're just temporary poor, not systemically. One day we will be millionaires, so we can't target them! That's us! All made up of course, all propaganda, but ultimately still a huge challenge someone like Sanders needs to overcome.
They're not divisive enough. Not nearly enough racism.
Populism works because you need to create an enemy within that will cause your following, the majority, to feel as though they are persecuted. As though they are victims.
This was pretty easy to do with white conservatives, the majority, because you can just tell them brown people are stealing their money and causing crime and drugs or whatever. Oh, and also woke, because women on TV. It's a lot harder to do with the left.
I mean, who do you point to? The bourgeoisie, typically, but uh oh - they own everything. They fund your campaign, and your news. So... who is going to spread your populist messaging? That's, like, the most important part of populism. That's why Radio started WWII.
Also, in the US we have a culture of rampant individualism. We don't hate the bourgeoisie here because we all have a delusion that we're just temporary poor, not systemically. One day we will be millionaires, so we can't target them! That's us! All made up of course, all propaganda, but ultimately still a huge challenge someone like Sanders needs to overcome.