海角大神

鈥淣ew York values.鈥�聽The 2016 replacement for 鈥淪an Francisco values鈥� as conservative nomenclature for elitist, arrogant liberals.

A version of 鈥淪an Francisco values鈥� was popularized by Jeanne Kirkpatrick, the onetime Democrat who served as President Ronald Reagan鈥檚 United Nations ambassador. At the 1984 Republican National Convention, Kirkpatrick condemned 鈥淪an Francisco Democrats鈥� for a 鈥渂lame America first鈥� mentality. It took on new life when the city鈥檚 ultra-progressive congresswoman, Nancy Pelosi, ascended to Speaker of the House after the Democrats鈥� midterm romp and became the central target of GOP wrath.

But several things have happened that have led the Big Apple to replace the City by the Bay. One is that Republicans have heartily embraced nearby Silicon Valley鈥檚 tech-startup culture (and its tremendous wealth). Another is that The New York Times has come in for predictably heavy media-bashing; as The Washington Post鈥檚 Chris Cillizza has noted, the Gray Lady 鈥渇unctions as a stand-in for everything 鈥� or at least many things 鈥� conservatives dislike: liberalism, the arrogance of big cities, intellectual elitism and out-of-touch-ness.鈥�

And, of course, the GOP campaign has witnessed the ascendancy of Donald Trump, a proud New Yorker. 鈥淓veryone understands that the values in New York City are socially liberal or pro-abortion or pro- gay-marriage, focus around money and the media,鈥� Texas Sen. Ted Cruz asserted at Thursday鈥檚 GOP debate, stoking a fire that he had started earlier in the week.

Trump, naturally, went further into indignancy mode. 鈥淚've had more calls on that statement that Ted made 鈥� New York is a great place. It's got great people, it鈥檚 got loving people, wonderful people,鈥� he responded. 鈥淲hen the World Trade Center came down, I saw something that no place on Earth could have handled more beautifully, more humanely than New York.鈥�

Other Republicans have agreed with Trump in saying Cruz is off base.聽And New Yorkers and their media outlets have angrily joined the fray,聽with the Daily News invoking a famous 1970s headline in telling Cruz in no uncertain terms just how misguided he is.

Cruz isn鈥檛 the first political figure to invoke 鈥淣ew York values鈥� pejoratively. Two years ago, when Houston Mayor Annise Parker married her longtime partner Kathy Hubbard, Harris County Republican Party Chairman Jared Woodfill wasn鈥檛 among those offering congratulations. 鈥淭his is a mayor who is bringing California and New York values to Texas, and these are values Texans don't subscribe to,鈥� Mr. Woodfill said. 鈥淭exans have defined their position on marriage in the form of a constitutional amendment.鈥�

And when former Louisiana governor (and short-lived 2016 candidate Bobby Jindal) was stumping for Deb Fischer in her successful 2012 Senate race against former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D) of Nebraska, Jindal took a shot at Kerrey鈥檚 tenure as president of Manhattan鈥檚 New School. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 need to bring New York values to Nebraska,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e might need to send Nebraska values to New York.鈥�

Democrats, unsurprisingly, have an entirely different conception of New York values. When House Republicans in 2012 proposed a federal budget that Democrats complained unfairly slashed spending for the poor, Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D) of New York聽said, 鈥淭his budget repeatedly chooses millionaires and billionaires over working families. Those are not American values, they are not New York values and we should reject them.鈥�

And performance artist Penny Arcade staged a 2002 one-woman show called 鈥淣ew York 海角大神鈥� in celebration of the end of New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani鈥檚 rule, contending that Giuliani had taken away far too much of the city鈥檚 gritty Bohemian charm.

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� will be released on Jan. 19 and is now available for pre-order.