If you don't know anyone who likes Donald Trump, is it 'Pauline Kaelism'?
When the famed New Yorker film critic quipped that she only knew of one person who had voted for President Nixon after his 1972 landslide, she made her name a synonym for living in a bubble.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump meets with attendees during a campaign stop at Farmington High School, on Monday in Farmington, N.H.
John Minchillo/AP
鈥淧auline Kaelism.鈥�聽A criticism named for the longtime New Yorker film critic and directed at those who make bad political judgments because they鈥檙e seen as living in a bubble.
When it comes to movies, Kael 鈥� who died in 2001 鈥� is known as perhaps the most influential essayist of all time. But when it comes to politics, she鈥檚 remembered for a statement she made about Republican President Richard Nixon鈥檚 landslide 1972 victory 鈥� she only knew of one person who had voted for Nixon.
An admirer of Kael鈥檚, James Wolcott, said her remark should be understood in context. Writing in Vanity Fair in 2012, Wolcott that the critic 鈥� a resident of Manhattan and Massachusetts 鈥� also said, 鈥淚 live in a rather special world 鈥� Where [Nixon voters] are, I don鈥檛 know. They鈥檙e outside my ken.鈥� As a result, he said, 鈥淩ather than showing out-of-touch insularity on Kael鈥檚 part, the quote actually shows Kael is perfectly aware of that insularity and is in fact making light of it.鈥�
But political observers have used the term to describe how supposed know-it-alls can be completely misinformed. In many cases, those know-it-alls are left-wing elites. After last month鈥檚 terrorist attack in San Bernardino, Calif., National Review鈥檚 Jonah Goldberg why arguments in favor of gun control haven鈥檛 resonated with the public at large.
鈥淭he absence of guns in urban liberal environments leads to a kind of Pauline Kaelism 鈥� Many urban liberals only hear about guns when they鈥檙e used in crimes, and simply can鈥檛 imagine why anyone would want one. As a result, they鈥檙e tone-deaf in their arguments,鈥� Goldberg wrote.
And earlier this week, the Washington Examiner鈥檚 Byron York talked to numerous New Hampshire GOP activists and found that many didn鈥檛 know anyone who supports Donald Trump.
鈥淕iven Trump鈥檚 big lead in the polls,鈥� 鈥渋f so many politically active Republicans don鈥檛 know even one Trump supporter, either the polls are wrong or there is some serious GOP Pauline Kaelism at work in the nation鈥檚 first primary state.鈥�
The criticism has been applied to other Republicans as well. After President Obama鈥檚 emphatic 2012 reelection, Jonathan Martin 鈥� then of Politico 鈥� examined how some younger Republicans blamed the party鈥檚 鈥渟elf-selected media universe鈥� for being so startled at the result after it had expressed so much confidence in challenger Mitt Romney鈥檚 chances.
鈥淕OP officials have chalked up their electoral thumping to everything from the country鈥檚 changing demographics to an ill-timed hurricane and failed voter turn-out system, but a cadre of Republicans under 50 believes the party鈥檚 problem is even more fundamental,鈥� Martin 鈥淭he party is suffering from Pauline Kaelism.鈥�
Chuck McCutcheon writes his "Speaking Politics" blog exclusively for Politics Voices.
Interested in decoding what candidates are saying? Chuck McCutcheon and David Mark鈥檚 latest book, 鈥淒oubletalk: The Language, Code, and Jargon of a Presidential Election,鈥�