<p>"The familiar chorus of faux indignation from the bad-faith brigade illustrates more than just how reflexive and juvenile the discourse has become," Hohmann <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/03/06/biden-neanderthal-republicans-fake-anger/" target="_blank">writes</a>. "This week also put into stark relief how leading Republicans hope to fight their way out of the wilderness by leaning into grievance and picking culture war battles."</p><p>He adds that efforts to "capitalize on the cultural epidemic of grievance and victimhood" are "entirely rational," because they keep conservatives engaged.</p><p>Such battles also help to distract from the fact that Republicans are fighting against popular legislation. According to a Quinnipiac poll from February, <a href="https://poll.qu.edu/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=3688" target="_blank">nearly 7 in 10 Americans support</a> the Biden administration's proposed $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, known as the American Rescue Plan.</p><p>"Republicans now face the familiar challenge of keeping their populist base riled up while opposing policies that would benefit many of those core supporters — this time without Trump," Hohmann explains. "Indeed, even as Republicans tried to convince their voters to take offense at Biden's Neanderthal label, they were voting en masse against a measure to extend unemployment benefits and send $1,400 checks to millions of households, while arguing against a $15 an hour minimum wage."</p><p>Biden and his aides, on the other hand, have mostly ignored the culture war battles. </p><p>"I don't think there is any danger in ignoring a debate on Mr. Potato Head and Dr. Seuss," John Anzalone, a Biden adviser and campaign pollster, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/04/joe-biden-culture-wars-473824" target="_blank">told Politico</a>.</p>
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