Utah Republican, Senator Orrin Hatch, took to the Senate floor today to speak against President Obama‘s energy policy. While speaking, Sen. Hatch accused the President of favoring people in big cities instead of those blue collar workers throughout the country.
In fact, his exact words were, “President Obama has traded in the hard hat and lunch bucket category of the Democratic Party for a hipster fedora and a double skim latte.”
Hipsters and hipster culture are targets for a lot of derision on the Internets and offline in real life. If you don’t believe me, just go to the Google.
Even joking about hipster culture can be a target for derision.
Now I’m not the only Last Word staffer who lives in northern Brooklyn (aka, hipster territory), and while I don’t actually see that many fedoras (Hatch is a little behind the times when it comes to fashion), there are plenty of lattes.
But here’s the biggest gripe I have with the senator’s remarks. He’s essentially saying one type of American is more American than another type of American. It’s the same line of attack Newt Gingrich has used when talking about urban “elites” who “ride the subways.”
Firstly, I rode the subway home last night. At Union Square while waiting on the next train I watched a rat lick the inside of a discarded food package. I know, it’s all so glamorous.
Secondly, yes, urbanites live in big cities. Cities with lots of coffee shops. Yes, we do some things differently than people who don’t live in cities. We may wear different clothes. Spend our free time differently. But that doesn’t make us any better or worse or more American or less American than anyone else in this country.
My point, can’t politicians disagree on policy without trying to pit one group of Americans against another? Sigh. You can see more of Hatch’s speech here from The Hill. ht BuzzFeed
Nick Ramsey
Nick Ramsey is a senior producer with MSNBC’s “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell.” Recommended
