Ross Douthat: The liberal gloat hides some slightly more unpleasant truths

Our take: With the re-election of President Barack Obama, the Democratic Party not only has a chance to govern the country, but also may feel morally and intellectually superior to Republicans. Much post-election commentary suggests that the Republican Party needs to rethink its positions. But it isn't just Republicans who may need to adjust. Ross Douthat comments in his column for the New York Times on a few "unpleasant truths about the future that liberalism seems to be winning."

"Back in 2011, the Obama White House earned some mild mockery for its 'win the future' slogan. But now that the president has been re-elected, the liberal conventional wisdom is that the Democrats have done just that — that Republicans are now Radio Shack to their Apple store, 'The Waltons' to their 'Modern Family,' a mediocre Norman Rockwell to their digital-age mosaic.

"Maybe it's too soon to pierce this cloud of postelection smugness. But in the spirit of friendly correction — or, OK, maybe curmudgeonly annoyance — let me point out some slightly more unpleasant truths about the future that liberalism seems to be winning.

"Liberals look at the Obama majority and see a coalition bound together by enlightened values — reason rather than superstition, tolerance rather than bigotry, equality rather than hierarchy. But it's just as easy to see a coalition created by social disintegration and unified by economic fear."

Read more about liberalism and social roots on The New York Times.