Thursday marks the 100th anniversary of Robert F. Kennedy’s birth. Bobby Kennedy is mostly remembered today as a liberal icon, a tribune of the poor, and a critic of the Vietnam War, which he surely was. But it’s crucial, on this anniversary, to recall that he embodied a special brand of liberal patriotism that is at odds with so much of what the progressive left represents today.
It’s especially important for Democrats to reflect on Kennedy’s unapologetic patriotism as they celebrate their big victories in the November 4 elections. The returns revealed a persistent class gap in voting patterns, which will matter a great deal more in the 2028 presidential election, when noncollege-educated voters are likely to play a much bigger role than they did in the recent odd-year elections.
There are many reasons why working-class Americans are skeptical of today’s Democrats, but one key factor looming behind it all is this: The party has a patriotism problem. There is a pervasive sense among voters that Democrats just don’t like this country very much.
Like most problems the Democrats face, this is a self-inflicted wound. Since at least 2016, Democrats have gone hard on the view that America was born in slavery, marinated in racism, and remains a white supremacist society. This stance has ironically seemed to have won over some affluent whites but alienated working-class voters of all colors.
