AI Summary
5 min readThe College-Educated Working Class and the Fight for the Senate
In 2004, college-educated voters began drifting left on economics. By 2016, they had converged with non-college voters on economic populism, even as they diverged sharply on culture and identity. This is the central argument of Noam Scheiber's book Mutiny: The Rise and Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class, and it helps explain both the rise of the Democratic Socialists of America and the durable hold of MAGA on the right. Meanwhile, in North Carolina, former governor Roy Cooper is running for Senate as a Democrat in a state that hasn't elected one to federal office in twenty years—and he's leading in the polls by running on pocketbook issues, public safety, and a promise to restore checks and balances against an executive branch that has "run roughshod" over Congress.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:30) **Intro & Housekeeping** - Host Tim Miller previews the double-header episode featuring Roy Cooper and Noam Scheiber.
- 2 (02:34) **Elon Musk's "Ratfuckery" in Ukraine** - Tim discusses new reports of Starlink restrictions hampering Ukraine's defense against Russia.
- 3 (04:44) **The Unjust Internment of Miriam Thomas Sebi's Family** - Tim highlights the 187-day detention of a family in a Dilly camp and urges listeners to take action.
- 4 (06:35) **Interview: Noam Scheiber on "Mutiny"** - Tim introduces Noam Scheiber, author of "Mutiny: The Rise and Revolt of the College Educated Working Class."
- 5 (06:55) **The "Reader's Digest" Version of Mutiny** - Noam explains the gap between the promise of a college degree and the economic reality for millennials and Gen Z.
- 6 (10:25) **Parsing the Categories of the "College Educated Working Class"** - Noam breaks down the different types of workers in this group, from the economically struggling to the status-anxious.
- 7 (15:30) **"Subaru Socialists" vs. Legitimate Grievance** - The hosts discuss the eye-rolling reaction to "cosplaying socialism" and the material vs. ideological drivers of the leftward shift.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Elon is now pitching in to help POTUS sabotage Ukraine while Trump makes a payout to Putin and works on his next self-enrichment scheme. A Cooper victory in North Carolina would be key to a potential Democratic Senate majority—a first step to reining in Trump—but the former governor warns Tim that Republicans have historically been undercounted in the polls and his lead should not be taken for granted. Plus: Scheiber in his recent book has the backstory on the radicalization of recent college grads, who tend to support the DSA and think America has too much power. And at a time when even white collar professionals identify with the working class, Trump's economic messaging sounds even more ridiculous.
Roy Cooper and New York Times reporter Noam Scheiber join Tim Miller.
show notes:
- Cooper’s campaign site
- Noam’s book, “Mutiny: The Rise and Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class”
- JVL on Trump screwing the housing market
- This week’s “The Next Level”
- Link to send to elected Democrats on behalf of Maryam Tahmasebi and her family
- The Jay Kang piece that Tim referenced about Noam’s book
- October Surprise: The Bulwark is 30% off
- Upcoming Bulwark LIVE show in Atlanta on Oct. 20
- The Bulwark’s campaign to help the Haitian community of Springfield
- The Bulwark store
- NOBL gives you real travel peace of mind — security, design, and convenience all in one. Head to
NOBLTravel.com for 46% off your entire order! #NOBL #ad
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