Ezra Klein with Malcolm Gladwell: Why We’re Polarized

[ogc163]

 

[mc_brew]

if I'm understanding the premise correctly, he's saying people vote more with the party they culturally identify with than whether they think that party has the right policies or not.... interesting premise.... basically he is saying people are tribal....

 

[Professor Emeritus]

if I'm understanding the premise correctly, he's saying people vote more with the party they culturally identify with than whether they think that party has the right policies or not.... interesting premise.... basically he is saying people are tribal....

David Brooks has cited some political scientists whose research suggests some version of a similar idea. Basically, we're initially attracted to the politicians we admire the most, and only come to agreement with their positions at some later point. That doesn't necessarily mean we'll be "tribal", but it agrees that we tend to form political allegiances based on shyt other than policy.

Of course no one is saying that has to hold true for everyone. It doesn't even have to hold true for the majority so long as it holds true for a large enough minority to swing the balance.

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

This isn't a good interview. All Ezra Klein's other dozens of interviews on his new book were excellent. Gladwell spends too much time trying to sound smart.

 

[ogc163]

if I'm understanding the premise correctly, he's saying people vote more with the party they culturally identify with than whether they think that party has the right policies or not.... interesting premise.... basically he is saying people are tribal....

Pretty much.

 

[ogc163]

This isn't a good interview. All Ezra Klein's other dozens of interviews on his new book were excellent. Gladwell spends too much time trying to sound smart.

I have to disagree, the other interviews I've listened to were pretty banal. Gladwell atleast does a decent job of parsing out Ezras main arguments with relevant hypothetical examples, counter examples, and relevant real applications.

 

[analog]

if I'm understanding the premise correctly, he's saying people vote more with the party they culturally identify with than whether they think that party has the right policies or not.... interesting premise.... basically he is saying people are tribal....

I believe it.

I have countless friends, and coworkers that vote for the Liberal party in Canada simply because their parents came to the country under Pierre Trudeau's government in the '70s. As a result, their parents feel obligated to perpetually vote Liberal as a show of gratitude, even though their views on policy may not align with the party anymore, and their kids adopt this feeling of obligation/tradition as well.

I can't even get into my own family, and community members who will allow a candidate's sexuality to play a pivotal role (due to religion) in who they vote for (even if it means voting against their best interest)

 

[GnauzBookOfRhymes]

I think it boils down to whether the voter perceives the policy as a threat to or even disadvantageous to their tribe. In that case tribe will always prevail.

 

[the cac mamba]

republicans started the modern era of this, with their reaction to obama's election

it's disgusting to watch them talk about "the left hates trump for no reason", and "how dare the left refuse to work with trump"