Her name is Zeynep Tufecki. She writes on occasion for the New York Times.
She has been brilliant — the best analyst I have read this election cycle. BY FAR.
Her diagnosis is the best I have read. I quote it here:
This was a close election. If people keep up dismissing real economic despair, next one won't be. I'm from Turkey. I've seen this movie.
This ignores large swing to Trump from under $30K group. Trump fused ethno-supremacy with economic populism. Ignore that at your own peril.
All the sneering at "economic anxiety"? All the finding of pics of awful racists and labeling it "economic anxiety"? Self-induced blindness.
Of course there is a resurgence of racism--an explicit nationalism based on ethno-supremacy. HE TIED IT TO ECONOMIC REVIVAL. This is potent.
Anti-racism & protecting vulnerable groups is the priority. I'm an immigrant from Middle East and I work with refugees. I will double down.
But globalization, de-industrialization and tech-fueled change wiped out stability from large swathes of US. Sneering at this is ridiculous.
I keep correcting this about Turkey. Erdogan runs a populist government. Expanded the welfare state for groups who felt culturally maligned.
Trump likely not as talented as Erdogan as a politician. There is no realignment... yet. This is still the country that elected Obama.
Keep this up & there will be a realignment. Trumpism will create its Erdogan. It's a a global wave. Opposition incompetence big part of it.
Stop normalizing the worst of the racists by sneering at very real economic concerns, using totalizing language that lumps it all together.
Not just because of feelings. Because you will lose. And lose. And lose. Erdogan on his way to fifth election--will win a super-majority.
Democratic margin among those making under 30 thousand decline 16% from 2012.