During an interview with PBS at the Democratic National Convention, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi openly disparaged the white working class.
“I think that, so many times, white — non-college-education — educated white males have voted Republican,” Pelosi said, “They voted against their own economic interests because of guns, because of gays, and because of God, the three G’s, God being the woman’s right to choose.”
The fact that one of the highest-ranking Democrats in American politics said this shows something about the Democratic Party: they are not the party of the people. They are the party of the Washington elites.
Most Americans, including many Democrats, support restricting abortion to the first trimester of pregnancy. Yet, Hillary Clinton and the Democratic establishment — especially Nancy Pelosi — oppose such measures, and they dismiss those who disagree out of hand.
Pelosi and her cronies are not particularly interested in what entire swathes of voters care about. She believes that she and other technocratic bureaucrats in the center of political power can, and ought to, make decisions for the average American. To Pelosi, the” wisdom” of Washington lobbyists and government agents surpasses the common sense of Main Street.
This, of course, is not the first time the Democratic leadership has disparaged voters for their values. In the 2008 campaign, President Obama famously made fun of Midwestern voters, riffing on themes similar to Pelosi’s remarks.
“They get bitter,” Obama said, “They cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”
Last year, President Obama made the same criticism again, that time directing his ire towards voters in the Republican primaries.
Pelosi’s comments, and Obama’s before hers, are part of a long tradition of left-wing elites posturing themselves as superior to those outside of the ruling class. Democratic leadership is clearly out of touch with the American people, and Nancy Pelosi just broadcasted it on live television.
Michael Lucchese works for the American Principles Project.
