David Brooks explains the impending ascent of Howard Dean as DNC Chairman in terms of the isolation of educated elites from the rest of America. Our own Jack Kemp wrote of this same social isolation of liberal elites a few months ago.

The problem can be sliced and diced with a number of sharp instruments. Class, in the Marxian or sociological sense — the relationship to the means of production, the inherited social position, and the network of personal affiliations — is a helpful tool.

So also is psychology. My experience is that liberals need to feel superior to others, in order to be able to tolerate their own glaring personal imperfections.

Whatever analystical constructs you choose, the message for the liberals is not good. they are descending into a vortex of isolation and extremism.

Thomas Lifson  2 5 04