- Another fundamentally cynical aspect of this narrative is the idea that pundits like Douthats wouldn't *also* accuse Democrats of radicalism if they passed a bunch of 'kitchen-table' policies. Are we really gonna pretend the NYT op-ed page would support a $20 minimum wage?
- This right here, this exact sentence, is THE problem in American political journalism. The IRA *was* cheap energy and good jobs! That was the whole bill! Democrats did precisely what political pundits are telling them to do and the pundits just ignore it.
