Historian Rick Perlstein discusses the authoritarian ratchet effect in conservatism, the longing for Main Street conservatives, and the GOP's rush towards authoritarianism. Topics include Project 2025, abortion movement, and the rise of Trump.
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Quick takeaways
The modern conservative movement increases in extremism through the 'authoritarian ratchet', driving towards potential totalitarianism.
Democrats idealize past Main Street conservatives, while today's GOP veers towards authoritarianism.
Tech entrepreneurs find appeal in Trump's disruptive narrative, bridging conservative ideologies and tech elitism.
Deep dives
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Podcast features insightful conversations on politics with Rick Pearlstein
The podcast delves into politics with guest Rick Pearlstein, discussing history, the conservative movement, and ideological perspectives. Pearlstein offers incisive insights from a left-leaning viewpoint, addressing current news topics, potential backlash scenarios, and historical context like Project 2025 and Nixon-style controversies.
Pearlstein explores the concept of authoritarian ratchet and its implications
Rick Pearlstein introduces the 'authoritarian ratchet' concept, highlighting the relentless escalation of conservative ideology towards extremism and potential totalitarianism. He explains how unrealistic goals drive this cycle, leading to an inevitable push towards more extreme policies and societal impacts, especially in the context of Trump's influence.
The discussion reveals tech bros' complex relationship with conservatism and politics
The conversation delves into the dynamics between socially liberal tech entrepreneurs and conservative ideologies, portraying a nuanced connection influenced by tech elitism and disdain for left-leaning attitudes. It uncovers the allure of Trump's disruptive approach to challenging establishment figures and driving a narrative that aligns with tech aristocracy's preferences.
The modern conservative movement has a built-in ratcheting-up mechanism, so that even when Republicans win, they act like they're losing and the country is on the verge of collapse. Even Democrats long for the days of responsible, Main Street conservatives. But today's GOP is racing headlong into authoritarianism, and the fever is not going to break until we defeat it. Rick Perlstein joins Tim Miller.