Today Razib talks to Timothy P. Carney, an American journalist and author who serves as senior political columnist at the Washington Examiner and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. His work explores politics, corporate influence, religion, community, and family life, with particular attention to crony capitalism and the weakening of America’s civic institutions. His books include The Big Ripoff, Obamanomics, Alienated America, and Family Unfriendly: How Our Culture Made Raising Kids Much Harder Than It Needs to Be. He has contributed to publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Atlantic. Carney and his wife, Katie, have six children and live in the Washington, D.C., area.
First, they begin by talking but Carney’s time covering the Tea Party and the conservative revolution of the late Bush and early Obama years. He argues that voters often object more to perceived undeserved gains and cronyism than to government size or deficits alone. He says Trump widens debate on trade, immigration, and interventionism, but criticizes the party’s turn toward personal loyalty, arguing that a post-Trump conservatism should retain populist concerns while pursuing sound policy. Carney connects economic and cultural dislocation to the weakening of local institutions and relationships, suggesting that isolation drives people to seek answers through politics. He attributes declining birth rates mainly to cultural factors, including individualism and parenting pressures, rather than economics alone, identifying religious communities as an exception with stronger family formation. Looking ahead, Carney says Republicans risk losing both Trump’s voters when he is absent from the ballot and voters alienated by the party’s direction, while Democrats face pressure from their left wing. These challenges raise questions about whether a future conservative leader can build a durable coalition without simply imitating Trump and whether either party can offer a compelling vision centered on family and community.
