Thread by @NoahCRothman, You hear this often, and it's not entirely unfounded. But Biden is [...]

You hear this often, and it's not entirely unfounded. But Biden is not as insulated from from Democratic culture warring via legislation as many suggest... https://twitter.com/jmartNYT/status/1386724555448897538

https://twitter.com/jmartNYT/status/1386724555448897538

First, the narrative:
"Biden steers clear of polarizing culture wars"
https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/politics/2021/04/05/culture-wars-joe-biden-avoids-engaging-right-social-issues/4747687001/

"Joe Biden is kryptonite to the Republican culture war" https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/03/10/joe-biden-is-kryptonite-republican-culture-war/

"Biden sidesteps the culture wars, and that’s good for America" https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/biden-sidesteps-the-culture-wars-and-thats-good-for-america/2021/04/08/d29a5320-9880-11eb-a6d0-13d207aadb78_story.html

Opinion | Biden sidesteps the culture wars, and that’s good for America

The president is spending big, but his agenda runs in older, familiar ideological grooves.

https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/politics/2021/04/05/culture-wars-joe-biden-avoids-engaging-right-social-issues/4747687001/

Biden isn't participating in the culture wars that get airtime on Fox, but Democrats are culture warring in ways that don't register with the press.

For example: Legislation that is aimed at kneecapping the sharing economy to increase unionization rates is culture warring. https://www.commentarymagazine.com/noah-rothman/the-californication-of-america/

The Californication of America

It’s been a rough decade for organized labor. Over half the states in the Union have passed Right to Work laws in some form, which allow workers in unionized industries and shops to decline ...

https://www.commentarymagazine.com/noah-rothman/the-californication-of-america/

Declaring everything from childcare, to caregiving at seniors' facilities, to mandating paid leave is culture warring. Just survey the number of advocates for such reforms who describe it as fostering a particular "culture." It's cultural conflict by its advocates' admission.

Sponsoring legislation aimed at getting the Federal Reserve into the "racial justice" business is culture-warring. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/08/05/fed-racial-inequality-democrats/

Democrats introduce bill to give the Federal Reserve a new mission: Ending racial inequality

It would be the first major change to the Fed’s mandate since 1977 and would significantly alter the central bank’s focus.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/08/05/fed-racial-inequality-democrats/

Advocating changes to Title IX to reimpose the unjust standards on campuses that prevailed after the 2011 Dear Colleague letter is culture warring. https://www.npr.org/2021/03/10/975645192/biden-begins-process-to-undo-trump-administrations-title-ix-rules

Biden Begins Process To Undo Trump Administration's Title IX Rules

Biden's effort to change the way cases of sexual assault and harassment are handled by schools is drawing both cheers and fears. The move comes less than a year after Trump enacted the rules.

https://www.npr.org/2021/03/10/975645192/biden-begins-process-to-undo-trump-administrations-title-ix-rules

Redefining classic definitions of gender to provide trans athletes opportunities that some female athletes oppose to the extent that there are active cases before the courts over it is culture warring. https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2021/02/25/transgender-women-unfair-playing-field-for-girls-column/6813749002/

Not a fair fight: Our athlete daughters shouldn't have to compete with transgender women.

Column: The Equality Act would jeopardize opportunities and maybe safety for many female athletes. It would make the playing field even more unequal.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2021/02/25/transgender-women-unfair-playing-field-for-girls-column/6813749002/

And so on. Media might not recognize this as culture warring--indeed, it tends only to become culture warring when Republicans notice all this and resolve to do something about it--but it's cultural nonetheless.

And it does the audience a disservice to pretend these are GOP fixations. If we awake after the 2022 midterms shocked at the results, we should do our best not to externalize our confusion. The fault lies with our own biases and our tendency to seek out that which reinforces them

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