Newt Gingrich’s New Enemies: Subway Riders

[marmar]

from The Nation:



Newt Gingrich’s New Enemies: Subway Riders
Ben Adler on February 3, 2012 - 4:06pm ET


Newt Gingrich has taken phony cultural populism to its logical extreme. Gingrich abandons his supposed free market and small government principles when it comes to federally subsidizing over-consumption of housing. That’s both a biographical fact, in light of his work for Freddie Mac, and a policy position.

To make the point that anyone who disagrees with him on housing policy is just an elite liberal snob, instead of engaging them on substantive economic policy grounds, Gingrich has taken to mocking people who don’t own a detached single-family home in the suburbs and drive everywhere.

At the National Association of Home Builders, “Rally for Homeownership” in South Carolina, Gingrich said, “Those who, you know, live in high-rise apartment buildings writing for fancy newspapers in the middle of town after they ride the metro, who don’t understand that for most Americans the ability to buy a home, to have their own property, to have a sense of belonging is one of the greatest achievements of their life, and it makes them feel like they are good solid citizens.” As Matthew Yglesias wrote in Slate, “it’s telling how swiftly any kind of commitment to free market economics melts away in the face of the identity politics concerns of prosperous older white suburbanites.”

On Friday he reiterated his hatred of people who live a more environmentally efficient lifestyle. Speaking in Las Vegas ahead of the Nevada caucus, a contest he is sure to lose, Gingrich attacked “elites” in Manhattan who live in high rises and “ride the subway.” ..................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.thenation.com/blog/166069/newt-gingrichs-new-enemies-subway-riders

[JHB]

1. Newt should pay taxes to New York: he's used it enough

Newt has spent his entire political career using New York as the bogeyman: Soddom&Gomorrah-on-the-Hudson, The People's Republic of Escape From New York, Our Gothamite Overlords, etc.

Everyplace has its faults, and New York, being a nexus of so many things, has more than most. But Newt hasn't ran against the actual faults & problems, he's ran against the conservative Atlanta suburbanite's hallucination of New York, and now he's doing the same with their counterparts in South Carolina and elsewhere.

The elites don't take the subway, Newt. That's for people who work for a living. And if you worked for a living, you'd know that. if you're going to use New York so much, you really should chip in on maintaining the place.

[CBHagman]

2. I can't remember the source, but...

...a few years back an article analyzed why urban New Yorkers live more efficiently than those who are among suburban sprawl. They certainly live closer together, using less space per person!

As for the use of mass transit, it's one of the great democratizing activities of life, requiring a degree of trust and community and the knowledge that the world does not revolve around you.

And if Gingrich wants to see good solid citizens, I present Exhibit A: generations and generations of urban-dwelling immigrants.

As usual, Gingrich sets up a strawman, an imaginary elite that just happens to be in area of the country that whole-heartedly rejects his blather.

[MisterP]

3. clueless about the poor, clueless about the rich