Scott Alexander explores the dynamics of cool vs. uncool groups, relating it to Richard Nixon's college strategy of uniting outsiders against elites.
Longer summary
Scott Alexander reflects on his middle school thoughts about cool and uncool kids, wondering why uncool kids don't band together to challenge the cool kids' status. He then shares a comment from a reader that draws parallels to Richard Nixon's college experience, as described in Rick Perlstein's book 'Nixonland'. The comment details how Nixon formed the Orthogonians, a group for outsiders and strivers, in opposition to the elite Franklins at Whittier College. This strategy of uniting the 'uncool' majority against the 'cool' minority became a blueprint for Nixon's later political success.
Shorter summary