This is a topic that has been bugging me recently and that I think could actually stoke some productive input from right wingers here that might otherwise be disposed towards more vapid criticism of liberals.
In the 2000s, liberal news comedy took hold to counterbalance the outrage propaganda model of Fox News. With men like Jon Stewart at the helm, it was supposed to make the center/center-left message more accessible to citizens who weren't captivated by the then-very dry CNN and MSNBC. However, with guys like Bill Maher, John Oliver, and Stephen Colbert, the latter two of which are very knowledgeable and policy-competent figureheads, the message has become increasingly (and more apparently) classist, most notably towards lower class and rural white citizens.
With passing jokes about how fast food tastes is disgusting (Stewart/Colbert), to Mountain Dew being radioactive waste (Oliver), to big chain retail stores being a cesspool for oddities (Maher), the liberal comedy news seems to more and more casually engage in, and saturate their message with, distinctly condescending and elitist commentary.
This, along with the effects of right populism, has helped strengthen the perception that the center-left, which by all policy bases much better represents the poor and advocates for their interests, is in fact the elitist network that actually forms the right-wing policy platform. Thus, instead of making the Democrats more palatable to the people they help and making their pragmatism more accessible, the exact opposite effect is seeming occur.
What do you think?
While I do not agree with the theory that center-left policies are "much" better for the poor, these policies do serve/represent their
immediate interests, and what you denoted as elitist tones from entertainment/political figures did play a major role in 2016 and overall democratic party perception.
The truth is the tone by these entertainment figures echo most of the left's disposition of the "lower class", particularly those in rural America. The tone ostracizes a large portion of this country, as well as marginalizes their value and opinion of the current political spectrum.
You're definitely onto something; while events such as:
Comey investigation on H.Clinton,
Trump's charisma during the campaign,
Hillary's "deplorables" comment
are deemed as causes; the liberal elitist posture and condescending tone over the past decade has really led to many socioeconomically lower class citizens to run in the opposite direction.
-The sad part is that this tone is not getting any better; with a focus on Trump and his tweets, a national committee found to sabotage one of its biggest candidates(B-Sand), a general identity politics divisive approach, and an obstructionist stance in the house during the Trump presidency, the Left will not be changing anytime soon.
--Schumer's whiny voice and Pelosi's refusal to let go of or modify leadership is not helping either.
You guys need new blood and people willing to actually negotiate and compromise
-And not the sham of a compromise in the Senate last month where both parties agreed to spend more money on their own parties broad interests.