Publisher, Fran Zankowski Circulation Manager, Cal Winn EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief, Caitlin Rockett Senior Editor, Emma Athena News Editor, Will Brendza Food Editor, John Lehndorff Contributing Writers: Dave Anderson, Rob Brezsny, Michael J. Casey, Shay Castle, Angela K. Evans, Mark Fearer, Jodi Hausen, Karlie Huckels, Dave Kirby, Matt Maenpaa, Sara McCrea, Rico Moore, Adam Perry, Katie Rhodes, Dan Savage, Alan Sculley, Tom Winter SALES AND MARKETING Market Development Manager, Kellie Robinson Account Executives, Matthew Fischer, Carter Ferryman Mrs. Boulder Weekly, Mari Nevar PRODUCTION Art Director, Susan France Senior Graphic Designer, Mark Goodman CIRCULATION TEAM Sue Butcher, Ken Rott, Chris Bauer BUSINESS OFFICE Bookkeeper, Regina Campanella Founder/CEO, Stewart Sallo Editor-at-Large, Joel Dyer May 26, 2022 Volume XXIX, Number 38 Cover photo, Team Player Productions As Boulder County's only independently owned newspaper, Boulder Weekly is dedicated to illuminating truth, advancing justice and protecting the First Amendment through ethical, no-holds-barred journalism, and thought-provoking opinion writing. Free every Thursday since 1993, the Weekly also offers the county's most comprehensive arts and entertainment coverage. Read the print version, or visit boulderweekly.com. Boulder Weekly does not accept unsolicited editorial submissions. If you're interested in writing for the paper, please send queries to: editorial@boulderweekly.com. Any materials sent to Boulder Weekly become the property of the newspaper. 690 South Lashley Lane, Boulder, CO, 80305 p 303.494.5511 f 303.494.2585 editorial@boulderweekly.com www.boulderweekly.com Boulder Weekly is published every Thursday. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. © 2022 Boulder Weekly, Inc., all rights reserved.
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Populism: bigoted scapegoating or multiracial progressivism by Dave Anderson
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opulism isn’t a coherent ideology, argues John Judis, but “a way of thinking” about politics that can be employed by the left, right or center. In The Populist Explosion, he writes: “Left-wing populists champion the people against an elite or establishment. Theirs is a vertical politics of the bottom and middle arrayed against the top. Right-wing populists champion the people against an elite that they accuse of coddling a third group, which can consist, for instance, of immigrants, Islamists, or African American militants. Leftwing populism is dyadic. Right-wing populism is triadic. It looks upward, but also down on an out group.” Populist progressives won quite a few victories in the Democratic primaries on March 17. Conservative super PACs spent enormous sums to defeat them. Consider the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania: John Fetterman, the state’s lieutentant governor, will be the party’s U.S. Senate candidate for the seat currently held by a retiring Republican, Pat Toomey. Fetterman’s an unusual politician with a straightforward speaking style, casual dress, shaved head and tattoos. Fetterman supports Medicare for All, abortion rights, higher taxes on the rich, marijuana legalization and a $15 hour minimum wage. He denounces the filibuster and the
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obstruction of Build Back Better. Alexander Sammon of The American Prospect notes that Fetterman’s opponent, Conor Lamb, a Pittsburgh-area congressman, “had a not-insignificant record of voting against the party,” “a close personal relationship with Sen. Joe Manchin, the filibuster’s Democratic face,” and “was unable to make the case [for himself as] a Democrat who would actually advance the Democratic agenda.” Fetterman says, “This is the most important race in the country. Control of the Senate is going to come down to Pennsylvania, and we have to flip this seat.” Lamb has since pledged his support for Fetterman, saying, “Our entire democracy is on the line in November.” Are Lamb’s comments unnecessarily hyperbolic? In many primary races, Republican voters chose candidates who parrot Trump’s election lies and who seem determined to exert enormous political control over voting systems. Right-wing populism is going off the rails. It is getting extraordinarily vicious and stupid. Republican politicians and Fox News yakkers say that the Biden administration is stealing scarce infant formula and giving it to migrant babies and could be deliberately importing fentanyl to murder supporters of Trump. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Biden was giving “baby formula to illegal immigrants while mothers and fathers stare at empty grocery store shelves in a panic.” see THE ANDERSON FILES Page 9
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