Left Populist Affect: On the Imperative of Niceness, Part Twenty-Four

The left populist attempts to substitute affect, undergirded by invocations to be excited and a laundry list of community agreements, for material interests.

Anyone who has been on a Zoom call hosted by a leftist organization or campaign in the last couple of years will have encountered an overwhelming, ebullient, and intimidating enthusiasm. Organizers of these calls are always “hyped” and “excited,” in a constant state of titillation that seems practically drug-induced. They will even take the time to ask …