Opinion: A pro-worker patriotism

And not the false version offered by the current president. View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Thursday, November 29, 2018 [NYTimes.com/Opinion »]( [David Leonhardt] David Leonhardt Op-Ed Columnist I sat down the other day with Ro Khanna, the Democratic congressman who represents much of Silicon Valley but nonetheless has emerged as a populist voice. He endorsed Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton in 2016 and has offered several ambitious policies to help working-class families. A good portion of our conversation was about how Democrats could win over more white working-class voters. Here’s part of what Khanna said: “Talk more about America — about America winning in the 21st century, about America outdoing China, that China is this authoritarian government and system of values that we don’t want the world to share.” He described this idea as “inclusive patriotism” and contrasted it with President Trump’s agenda, which is actually weakening the country. I was struck that Khanna mentioned China so quickly when answering a question about domestic politics. [As I’ve written before]( I think the Democrats’ political message has suffered from the lack of a clear antagonist. China is such an antagonist. No, Americans should not demonize China in some sort of Cold War or xenophobic way. But China has become this country’s biggest rival. It often has competing economic interests and has radically different values. It is, in the simplest terms, anti-democratic. Is it smart politics to cast China as a threat to American interests? I’m not certain. But I do know that it has the advantage of being true. You can hear the rest of my conversation with Khanna on [this week’s episode of “The Argument” podcast](. The episode also includes a debate about climate change among Ross Douthat, Michelle Goldberg and me. If you have ideas about how to make Americans care more about climate change, please consider leaving us a message at (347) 915-4324, and we may play your thoughts on a future episode. Related: If you haven’t read the special report that The Times recently ran on the rise of China, [it’s available](. For the Opinion pages, [Ruchir Sharma]( has written about the coming tech war with China and [L. Rafael Reif]( the president of M.I.T., has written about how the United States should respond to the new innovation challenge. My colleague [Bret Stephens]( takes a different view in his latest column and argues that the real China challenge is managing its coming decline. And: [Katrin Bennhold’s Times story]( about the recent success of the Green Party in Germany has echoes of Khanna’s ideas. Robert Habeck, the party’s co-leader, talks about “positive patriotism” and says, “We see ourselves at the center of the nation, and that also means reclaiming the symbols of our country from the nationalists.” Local journalism. Julie K. Brown of The Miami Herald published [an important investigation]( yesterday on the lenient treatment given to Jeffrey Epstein — an investor who sexually abused dozens of girls. It’s another reminder of the value of local journalism. Powerful government officials — including Alexander Acosta, Trump’s current labor secretary — let Epstein off easy. The Herald called those officials on it. New blood. In an upset yesterday, House Democrats chose Hakeem Jeffries, a 48-year-old from Brooklyn, over Barbara Lee, a 72-year-old from Oakland, to be their caucus chair, the fifth most-powerful position in House leadership. Jeffries joins a Democratic leadership team dominated by members of Congress in their late 70s. “Jeffries appealed to members who have been frustrated by how long current House leaders have held power,” [reports The Los Angeles Times’s Sarah Wire](. Jeffries is a relative moderate. A [recent Economist profile]( noted his support for charter schools, fiscal rectitude and the criminal justice reform bill pushed by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. “At a time when the party’s base seems ready to turn left, House members seem reluctant to follow suit,” [argues New York Magazine’s Sarah Jones](. As [The Times’s Sheryl Gay Stolberg writes]( that moderation could help Jeffries bridge the liberal wing of the Democratic caucus and the newly enlarged red-state wing. The full Opinion report from The Times follows. The Argument [What Do We Do About Climate Change?]( And Representative Ro Khanna on the future of the Democratic Party [What Is Robert Mueller Thinking?]( Tim Peacock By CRISTIAN FARIAS Paul Manafort may be after a pardon from President Trump, but his alleged lying to investigators may deliver far more than he bargained for. [Why Did Manafort Cooperate With Trump Over Mueller?]( By KEN WHITE Lawyers for Manafort and Trump engaged in a brazen violation of criminal defense norms. The move could pay off, or it could blow up spectacularly. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT [What Was Paul Manafort Thinking?]( By HARRY LITMAN There’s no good explanation for why he lied to Mueller. From Our Columnists [The Real China Challenge: Managing Its Decline]( By BRET STEPHENS Those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first tout as countries of the future. [Deck the Halls With Democrats]( By GAIL COLLINS ’Tis the season to be running … [Why Nancy Pelosi Deserves to Be Speaker]( [The House minority leader, Nancy Pelosi, surrounded by the Democratic House leadership on Wednesday.]( The House minority leader, Nancy Pelosi, surrounded by the Democratic House leadership on Wednesday. Sarah Silbiger/The New York Times By ELAINE KAMARCK Her skills are a perfect match for the job, and there is no better choice in the Democratic caucus — it’s not even close. Contributing Op-Ed Writer [Donald Trump’s Dimming Prospects]( By THOMAS B. EDSALL Two years is an eternity in politics, but the president has a lot to worry about. Contributing Op-Ed Writer [Trump, the Monster Who Feeds on Fear]( By JENNIFER FINNEY BOYLAN The president spins falsehoods solely to make us afraid — of immigrants, of the left, of one another. ADVERTISEMENT LIKE THIS EMAIL? Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up here. Disability [Trump’s New Wall to Keep Out the Disabled]( By ELENA HUNG AND KATHERINE PEREZ Americans have until Dec. 10 to voice their opposition to the president’s “public charge” proposal. More in Opinion [Trump Is Wrong About the General Motors Bailout]( By STEVEN RATTNER I negotiated that deal, and G.M.’s problems go much deeper than one round of layoffs. [The Link Between August Birthdays and A.D.H.D.]( By ANUPAM B. JENA, MICHAEL BARNETT AND TIMOTHY J. LAYTON A new study raises questions about age, maturity and overdiagnosis. [The Long Shadow of ‘Help Wanted — Female’]( By WYNDHAM ROBERTSON It has been 50 years since classified job ads went unisex. So where are all the female C. E. O.s? [France Is Shaken by Protests No One Saw Coming]( By AGNÈS C. POIRIER Traditional politics have been decimated. What’s left behind is worryingly unstable. [Before the Claims of Crispr Babies, There Was China’s One-Child Policy]( By MEI FONG The Chinese government has a long history of using technology to control and manipulate reproduction. [Trump Tries Old Tricks With Latin America]( By CHRISTOPHER SABATINI The president’s strategy echoes Reagan’s Cold War battle against leftists and ignores, at Washington’s peril, the concerns of elected leaders in the region’s democracies. [Cindy Hyde-Smith Is Teaching Us What Segregation Academies Taught Her]( By NOLIWE ROOKS The campaign gaffes of Mississippi’s newly elected senator reveal the way that the past is always present. We’ve got more newsletters! You might like Frank Bruni’s newsletter.  Go beyond the headlines and behind the curtain with Frank Bruni’s candid reflections on politics, culture, higher education and more every week. [Sign up for Frank Bruni’s email.](  ADVERTISEMENT letters [Should I Quit Facebook? 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