As Republicans throw their lot in w/the Trump wing of their party, they become vulnerable to pressure from the left

GOP base voters are skeptical of their bona fides, and they need to credibly perform hostility to the elite to keep the base on side (1/?)

The left can challenge these guys to support policies that help workers, forcing them to put their money where their mouths are

Bernie did this w/Hawley on the checks

AOC could do this w/Cruz on regulation, if getting things done were her priority (2/?)

The issue is that AOC is more interested in creating a friend/enemy distinction between her supporters and the right

Hence the ludicrous insinuation that Ted Cruz was personally trying to harm her

(3/?)

Whatever its intent, the function of this friend/enemy distinction is to ensure that critics of neoliberalism are unable to come together to challenge it on economic issues where there is consensus across the left & right

It ramps up culture war and deepens division (4/?)

Once you buy into the friend/enemy distinction, there's no room left to even discuss a strategy which might get these economic objectives accomplished

If you buy it, the other side is communist/fascist and that means if you cooperate with them you are a dupe

(5/6)

The center benefits, because the distinction ensures that the center can win with a rump 90s consensus built around rich people and the professionals who beg them for scraps

They are happy with this situation

Attempts to win them over will fail again and again (6/6)