Yglesias is misrepresenting a study to blame the left for the right

No, a 2017 paper on the European right does not show that left pessimism drives right-wing politics.

In his new post Debbie Downer progressives aren’t helping, Matt Yglesias argues that even though leftists are criticizing Biden’s economy “in a left-wing democratic socialist kind of way,” their “pessimism” is likely to drive voters to Trump:

In Europe, pessimism about society is a major driver of support for populist right parties, and since Trump has r…