Reporter Heal Thyself

Let's take three members of the incoming freshmen class of the new Congress.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez represents a new brand of politics.  She is incredibly adept at social media, and at trolling her critics with both wit and substance.  As the youngest woman ever elected to Congress and with considerable reserves of charisma, she has become some sort of symbol for "the Left."  She will stake out certain positions to the left of her caucus, because that's what she was elected to do.  Dana Milbank's middle aged tut-tutting at her mild dissents is typical of the reportage on Democrats.  "They'd better be the grown-ups!  They'd better play politics by the old rules!"

Meanwhile, Rashida Tlaib said at a Move-On rally, that she was ready to "impeach the motherfucker."  The pearl clutching was extreme.  While some of this pearl clutching did exist with the many, many times Trump has violated certain social norms, let's recall that Tlaib said this at an event that was not broadcast live on TV (like calling certain countries "shitholes").  This represents a subtle double standard both on gender and partisanship.  Democrats are required to be the responsible party that doesn't blow stuff up and governs responsibly.

Meanwhile, America "elected" a vulgarian reality TV star.

On the Republican side, Mitt Romney has taken the role of Jeff Flake. For this his rebuke comes not from the Dana Milbanks of the world, but from a fellow Republican Senator.  Romney is being reminded that the GOP cult of authoritarianism will not brook dissent.  The media lauded his heterodoxy, but the GOP won't stand for it.  When Democrats are heterodox, it's a sign of chaos.  "Dems in disarray!"

The reason is that the GOP has abandoned all pretense of normal governance, and the reporting class wants that normal governance (even as they secretly bask in the media floods of Trumpistan).  The Democrats represent "normal order" whereas the Republicans represent the dark hordes of barbarians hammering on the gates of the Madisonian system of government. 

The problem, of course, is that people are angry.  Everywhere.  About everything.  Bland centrism and quiet nostrums aren't really going to allow Democrats to hold on to the power they have just been given. 

People voted overwhelmingly for the Democratic party because they were angry at that motherfucker.  Why can't people see that?  Why are we so attuned to white working class anger that we can't see the ocean of rage among women, people of color and the largest political party in the country?