'Sheepdog or wolf?' Columnist fears GOP is playing up worst values as it courts white working class

In an op-ed for The New York Times this Thursday, David French argues that the American white working class, captivated by Donald Trump, "is indulging its worst aspects."

According to French, the group has a "complex culture" that he doesn't want to simplify, but there are some common themes: "directness in speech, a respect for traditional family structures and roles, a more instrumentalist view of work (your job is what you do, not who you are), adeptness at practical learning, a tough protective ethos centered on family and community, and a deep sense of honor and loyalty."

But the values French listed have some "dark doppelgängers," he says.

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"Directness can become cruelty. Respect for tradition can yield to implacable hostility to necessary change. Protection can become aggression, dedication to common sense can devolve into prideful ignorance, and healthy loyalty can morph into destructive defiance."

French then wonders which set of values Republicans will espouse as they fight to become the party of the working class.

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"Sheepdog or wolf?"

Read the full op-ed over at The New York Times.