So evidently I’m on a bit of a nationalism kick… but I’m not alone. One of the things that has struck me about the Democratic debates on immigration in particular is the mix of talking about immigrants as human beings vs. talking about the contributions of immigrants to American society as a whole. The distinction between these two approaches can apply to all different policy areas.
This combination was on display in Clinton’s victory speech. She appeared to get the strongest reaction from the crowd when she talked about society as a whole – about “lifting each other up, not tearing each other down,” or about other system-level problems. She’s added some individual stories about 9-11 first responders and the school shooting at Sandy Hook.
But in most of the speech, she either sounded like a New Dealer, talking about how systemic problems are at odds with who we are as Americans, or like an updated version of that, talking about banning the box or about finding strength in diversity. There’s a persistent, if sometimes subtle, emphasis in her words on national well-being and strength, rather than just the protection of individuals. In the event that Clinton wins the nomination, this may tell us quite a bit about how she would approach big policy questions.
