--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why has the Democratic Party become so…" description: "\"Why has the Democratic Party become so arrogantly detached from ordinary Americans? Though they claim to speak for the poor and dispossessed, Democrats..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60e/camille-paglia-652_democratic_why-has-the-democratic-party-become-so-a_2295209.png" --- # Why has the Democratic Party become so arrogantly detached… ![“Why has the Democratic Party become so arrogantly detached from ordinary Americans? Though they claim to speak for the poor and dispossessed, Democrats have increasingly become the party of an upper-middle-class professional elite, top-heavy with journalists, academics and lawyers.” quote by Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60e/camille-paglia-652_democratic_why-has-the-democratic-party-become-so-a_2295209.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60e/camille-paglia-652_democratic_why-has-the-democratic-party-become-so-a_2295209.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60e/camille-paglia-652_democratic_why-has-the-democratic-party-become-so-a_2295209.png) > “Why has the Democratic Party become so arrogantly detached from ordinary Americans? Though they claim to speak for the poor and dispossessed, Democrats have increasingly become the party of an upper-middle-class professional elite, top-heavy with journalists, academics and lawyers.” [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques the Democratic Party's drift toward elite interests, suggesting it no longer represents ordinary citizens. **In simple terms:** Democrats are seen as distant from everyday people. Key Takeaway Recognize and address elite bias. Themes politics elitism representation Mood critical analytical Type political commentary social critique When to use this quote - campaign strategy - policy development - grassroots organizing - voter outreach Key Concepts class divide political accountability media influence Questions to Reflect On - How can parties stay connected to all socioeconomic groups? - What mechanisms ensure diverse representation? A Different Perspective Elite perspectives may overlook genuine grassroots concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democratic party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic-party/) [Democrats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democrats/) [Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party/) ## Related quotes > [Obama, like Carter, is reacting to warning signs by seeking to split the difference between dispirited Democrats and increasingly radicalized Republicans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-alterman/obama-like-carter-is-reacting-to-warning-signs-by-seeking-to-split/) [Eric Alterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-alterman/) > [And what do Democrats stand for, if they are so ready to defame concerned citizens as the 'mob' - a word betraying a Marie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/and-what-do-democrats-stand-for-if-they-are-so-ready-to-defame/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [I think a core principle of the Democratic Party has to be a defense of equal rights for every American. At the same time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neera-tanden/i-think-a-core-principle-of-the-democratic-party-has-to-be-a-defense/) [Neera Tanden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neera-tanden/) > [“It's voting rights or it's the filibuster. It's LGBTQ+ rights or it's the filibuster. It's union rights or it's the filibuster. It's civil rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cori-bush/it-s-voting-rights-or-it-s-the-filibuster-it-s-lgbtq-rights-or-it-s/) [Cori Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cori-bush/) > [The Republican Party supported the Equal Rights Amendment before the Democratic Party did. But what happened was that a lot of very right-wing Democrats,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/the-republican-party-supported-the-equal-rights-amendment-before-the/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [“Violence isn't a Democrat or Republican problem. It's an American problem, requiring an American solution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/violence-isn-t-a-democrat-or-republican-problem-it-s-an-american/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [In the 1990s, the Democratic Party began to cozy up to their long-time enemies: Wall Street Bankers. They took their money and relaxed their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-beckel/in-the-1990s-the-democratic-party-began-to-cozy-up-to-their-long-time/) [Bob Beckel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-beckel/) > [That's not saying there's not a bunch of good Democrats. I'm sure there's a lot of people who still haven't figured that out yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-mcgruder/that-s-not-saying-there-s-not-a-bunch-of-good-democrats-i-m-sure/) [Aaron McGruder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-mcgruder/) > [The greatest leaders in fighting for an integrated America in the twentieth century were in the Democratic Party. The fact is, it was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/the-greatest-leaders-in-fighting-for-an-integrated-america-in-the/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) > [“It's amusing to me that we refer to people who live in their heads as detached, disturbed, or mad, when reality for anyone is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/it-s-amusing-to-me-that-we-refer-to-people-who-live-in-their-heads-as/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [Marriages are always moving from one season to another. Sometimes we find ourselves in winter--discouraged, detached, and dissatisfied; other times we experience springtime, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-chapman/marriages-are-always-moving-from-one-season-to-another-sometimes-we/) [Gary Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-chapman/) > [To have the detached eye of the occultist, to look outward, to not be so self-reflective and to learn to step through the various…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/to-have-the-detached-eye-of-the-occultist-to-look-outward-to-not-be/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Post-minimalism implies music that's genre-less. Minimalism was very important because it came at a time when contemporary music had become so complex, so experimental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-beiser/post-minimalism-implies-music-that-s-genre-less-minimalism-was-very/) [Maya Beiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-beiser/) > [Wait on God and He will work, but don't wait in spiritual sulks because you cannot see an inch in front of you! Are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/wait-on-god-and-he-will-work-but-don-t-wait-in-spiritual-sulks/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“The rich eat life, the poor eat death; so what is the problem they ask?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/the-rich-eat-life-the-poor-eat-death-so-what-is-the-problem-they-ask/) [Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/) ## More by Camille Paglia > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [I cannot be convinced that great artists are moralists. Art is first appearances, then meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/i-cannot-be-convinced-that-great-artists-are-moralists-art-is-first/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [As a registered Democrat, I am praying for a credible presidential candidate to emerge from the younger tier of politicians in their late 40s.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/as-a-registered-democrat-i-am-praying-for-a-credible-presidential/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [Once you have become the centre of a conflict in a complex governmental enterprise you have the obligation to resign.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/once-you-have-become-the-centre-of-a-conflict-in-a-complex/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [I believe that government should confine itself to the public realm and that it should be as stripped down as possible, within reason. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/i-believe-that-government-should-confine-itself-to-the-public-realm/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [I'm a professor of media studies as well as humanities, and I'm an evangelist of popular culture, but when there's only media, then there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/i-m-a-professor-of-media-studies-as-well-as-humanities-and-i-m-an/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [My stress on the truth in sexual stereotypes and on the biologic basis of sex differences is sure to cause controversy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/my-stress-on-the-truth-in-sexual-stereotypes-and-on-the-biologic/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [Are we like late Rome, infatuated with past glories, ruled by a complacent, greedy elite, and hopelessly powerless to respond to changing conditions?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/are-we-like-late-rome-infatuated-with-past-glories-ruled-by-a/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [Effeminate men have suffered a bad press the world over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/effeminate-men-have-suffered-a-bad-press-the-world-over/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [In the theory of gender I began from zero. There is no masculine power or privilege I did not covet. But slowly, step by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/in-the-theory-of-gender-i-began-from-zero-there-is-no-masculine-power/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [I respect the astute and rigorously unsentimental David Horowitz as one of America's most original and courageous political analysts. He has the true 1960s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/i-respect-the-astute-and-rigorously-unsentimental-david-horowitz-as/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [The followers of Derrida are pathetic, snuffling in French pockets for bits of pieces of a deconstructive method already massively and coherently presented and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/the-followers-of-derrida-are-pathetic-snuffling-in-french-pockets-for/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [Gay men are guardians of the masculine impulse. To have anonymous sex in a dark alleyway is to pay homage to the dream of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/gay-men-are-guardians-of-the-masculine-impulse-to-have-anonymous-sex/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [Lesbian feminists, for all their ideals of sisterhood and solidarity, can treat each other with a fickleness, a parasitic exploitativeness, and vicious spite that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/lesbian-feminists-for-all-their-ideals-of-sisterhood-and-solidarity/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [There is no true expertise in the humanities without knowing all of the humanities. Art is a vast, ancient interconnected web-work, a fabricated tradition.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/there-is-no-true-expertise-in-the-humanities-without-knowing-all-of/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) [Explore all 427 Camille Paglia quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) ## More Democratic quotes > [There is plenty of time for Republicans to have a Macaca moment. But right now, as of October 17, 2014, the Republican Senate candidates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-continetti/there-is-plenty-of-time-for-republicans-to-have-a-macaca-moment-but/) [Matthew Continetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-continetti/) > [I am convinced that we will never build a democratic state based on rule of law if we do not at the same time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/i-am-convinced-that-we-will-never-build-a-democratic-state-based-on/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [In a democratic nation, power must be linked with responsibility, and obliged to defend and justify itself within the framework of the general good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/in-a-democratic-nation-power-must-be-linked-with-responsibility-and/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [The Only cure for nihilism is for liberal democratic societies - their electorates, their judiciary, and their political leadership- to insist that force is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/the-only-cure-for-nihilism-is-for-liberal-democratic-societies-their/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [Further more Yemen is leading pioneer in democratic practice, lots of brothers and friends testified on that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-abdullah-saleh/further-more-yemen-is-leading-pioneer-in-democratic-practice-lots-of/) [Ali Abdullah Saleh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-abdullah-saleh/) > [If Robert Heinlein is more to your taste than George Lucas: “If you are part of a society that votes, then do so. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-drum/if-robert-heinlein-is-more-to-your-taste-than-george-lucas-if-you-are/) [Kevin Drum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-drum/) > [But I don't think the Democratic Party is at eye level with the middle class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-i-don-t-think-the-democratic-party-is-at-eye-level-with-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We fight to defend our democratic ideals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-austin/we-fight-to-defend-our-democratic-ideals/) [Lloyd Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-austin/) > [I'm going to do everything I can to get myself elected, but that's not enough. I'm going to try to help move the Senate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-m-going-to-do-everything-i-can-to-get-myself-elected-but-that-s-not/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [While not widely reported, our victories in Iraq are plentiful. National elections, a democratic parliament and the drafting of a constitution are just some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gillmor/while-not-widely-reported-our-victories-in-iraq-are-plentiful/) [Paul Gillmor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gillmor/) > [The way I look at it is, cancer research is absolutely nonpartisan. Cancer is very democratic in the sense that it attacks people regardless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-koch/the-way-i-look-at-it-is-cancer-research-is-absolutely-nonpartisan/) [David H. Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-koch/) > [While living in America when I attended Harvard in the early 1970s, I saw for myself the awesome, almost miraculous, power of a people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benazir-bhutto/while-living-in-america-when-i-attended-harvard-in-the-early-1970s-i/) [Benazir Bhutto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benazir-bhutto/) > [As the longest serving Independent in the history of the United States Congress, as somebody who came into office by defeating an incumbent Democratic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/as-the-longest-serving-independent-in-the-history-of-the-united/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [The creatives, they want to connect with people. These artists, the clothing designers, they want to connect with people the same way that music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/the-creatives-they-want-to-connect-with-people-these-artists-the/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [It's important to recognize that expanding the circle of opportunity and increasing the democratic potential of our own society, as well as those across…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/it-s-important-to-recognize-that-expanding-the-circle-of-opportunity/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) Browse all 2,850 Democratic quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Why has the Democratic Party become so arrogantly detached from ordinary Americans? Though they claim to speak for the poor and dispossessed, Democrats have increasingly become the party of an upper-middle-class professional elite, top-heavy with journalists, academics and lawyers.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Camille Paglia" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/why-has-the-democratic-party-become-so-arrogantly-detached-from/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Democratic" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/why-has-the-democratic-party-become-so-arrogantly-detached-from/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60e/camille-paglia-652_democratic_why-has-the-democratic-party-become-so-a_2295209.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60e/camille-paglia-652_democratic_why-has-the-democratic-party-become-so-a_2295209.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60e/camille-paglia-652_democratic_why-has-the-democratic-party-become-so-a_2295209.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Why has the Democratic Party become so arrogantly detached from ordinary Americans? Though they claim to…” — Camille Paglia", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Camille Paglia", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Why has the Democratic Party become...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/why-has-the-democratic-party-become-so-arrogantly-detached-from/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/why-has-the-democratic-party-become-so-arrogantly-detached-from/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```