"Should Democrats now recommit to liberalism, a morally superior political ethos that would constrain their own political tactics and which, frankly, no longer has much of a public constituency? Or should they emulate amoral Trumpism forthrightly by disdaining liberal norms as nuisances that impede effective action?"

"“Suckers and Fighters” was the title of my first newsletter for The Dispatch. Trump has concocted a sort of populist anti-morality for the American right, I argued in that piece, in which “ruthlessness in pursuit of cultural dominance” was the only true virtue. According to that anti-morality, dishonorable behavior is a qualification for political leadership rather than a disqualifier because it demonstrates a ruthless willingness to ignore norms in pursuit of one’s interests. It’s the hallmark of a “fighter,” whereas observance of norms is characteristic of a “sucker” who prefers to lose honorably than win dirty."

"Whoopi Goldberg’s argument for pardoning Hunter Biden, that Joe Biden would be a fool to “bust his behind to stay straight … when no one else is,” is a Democratic version of Trump’s populist anti-morality. If the ruling class—now represented by Donald Trump and his postliberal vandals—doesn’t care about norms, why should the Bidens? Why should they be “suckers” who follow traditional pardon practices if it means leaving the president’s son to rot in prison rather than “fighters” who emulate Trump’s brand of cronyism by doing whatever they can to immunize Hunter from legal consequences?"

"Liberal “suckers” and postliberal “fighters” are going to wrestle for control over the direction of the Democratic Party. And while the suckers stand a better chance of winning this fight than they did on the rotten American right, their chances will depend partly on Trump: The more corruptly he behaves in his second term and the more tolerant of that corruption voters prove to be, the weaker the electoral incentive for Democrats to follow liberal norms will get. At some points, “suckers” really are suckers."