Great article on white working class rejecting Dems

[Reality]

Why Democratic Appeals To The ‘Working Class’ Are Unlikely to Work

A year ago, Rep. Jim Banks, a Republican from Indiana, sent a memo to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy about how he thought the Republican Party should work…

fivethirtyeight.com

Yes, we all know the white working class' rejection of the left is race based, but here are some more nuanced things the article made me think about:

• "Working class" is sometimes broadly defined as "lacking a bachelor's degree" and equated to poor/facing dire economic straits...because the white working class is rural this isn't always the case...this means dem messaging re: economic insecurity can fall flat
• Many of these ppl are also employed in things like coal, fracking, and other industries in democratic crosshairs for environmental concerns...this too means dem messaging re: economic insecurity can fall flat. it may also come across as economically threatening
• The swath of Republican voters most likely to cite economic concerns as their primary concerns is rich, white republicans...so it's not that there's much "my racism is actually misplaced economic anxiety" (i think most of us knew this, but it's an interesting reiteration)
• This is also why "elite" to these republicans can be so disconnected from what people on the left see as elite...elitism is defined through a cultural lens not economic for these people. We look at a GWB like "how the fukk can this guy get away with acting like he's not the definition of the elite with his rich ass? how they can be blind to that?"...it's not blindness actually but truly not giving a shyt about the rich part

I think overall...this makes me less inclined to see peace in our future as the country tears itself apart. i've known the economics haven't mattered to so many of these people, but the argument that it may truly not matter because even the "working class" among them aren't struggling is interesting. And I think conclusions about our trajectory from here could be pretty bleak.

 

[mastermind]

but the argument that it may truly not matter because even the "working class" among them aren't struggling is interesting.

Yeah, I think thats always been the case but people inside of the DC bubble (politicians and media members) don't actually know what the working class is.

Even in that article, why aren't service workers considered working class? Hospitality workers? There are more of them than people working in factories.

 

[Gritsngravy]

I’m not sure if it’s the faults of dems or reps but this is what happens when a supposedly first world country has a lack luster education system, people stuck on factories and mining jobs when America should’ve been upgraded it’s workforce, and now confused why the Chinese will be leading the next industrial revolution

 

[Professor Emeritus]

Focusing on the "white working class" is too broad. They need to target more narrow segments if they want to make gains.


* Continue to support unions (and not just union leadership)

* Economically support the working class who have genuine economic need at the bottom - minimum wage, health care, tax credits, etc.

* Support small business over large corporations

* Support small farmers over corporate farmers

* Work harder to improve education quality in low-income neighborhoods, including rural

* Support the indebted poor over creditors

* Support home ownership among the poor and renters' rights over landlords


Even if they can't win the ethereal "white working class", there are gains to be made still in all those segments. And if they can position themselves as essential to people's livelihoods in those areas then they'll lose less ground when it comes to culture wars.

This strategy has worked before. Remember that the Democrats held the House for 40 straight years until 1994. They were still winning presidential elections in West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana in 1996, Indiana and North Carolina in 2008, Iowa, Ohio, Florida, and Maine in 2012. They had a Kentucky senator until 1998, South Dakota and South Carolina until 2004, Nebraska until 2012, Montana, South Dakota, Iowa, Arkansas, Louisiana, West Virginia, and North Carolina until 2014, Missouri, Florida, Indiana, and North Dakota until 2018, and Alabama until 2020. They were still considered the pro-black, pro-immigrant, pro-abortion, pro-gay, anti-gun party back then, they only won because at least some white people in certain states still put economic shyt first. It can happen again but Democrats need to deliver more than they have.

 

[ADevilYouKhow]

Saint Bernie

 

[Unemployed GM]

White people value being white

 

[acri1]

White people value being white

Pretty much.

"Economic anxiety" was always

 

[acri1]

Focusing on the "white working class" is too broad. They need to target more narrow segments if they want to make gains.


* Continue to support unions (and not just union leadership)

* Economically support the working class who have genuine economic need at the bottom - minimum wage, health care, tax credits, etc.

* Support small business over large corporations

* Support small farmers over corporate farmers

* Work harder to improve education quality in low-income neighborhoods, including rural

* Support the indebted poor over creditors

* Support home ownership among the poor and renters' rights over landlords


Even if they can't win the ethereal "white working class", there are gains to be made still in all those segments. And if they can position themselves as essential to people's livelihoods in those areas then they'll lose less ground when it comes to culture wars.

This strategy has worked before. Remember that the Democrats held the House for 40 straight years until 1994. They were still winning presidential elections in West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana in 1996, Indiana and North Carolina in 2008, Iowa, Ohio, Florida, and Maine in 2012. They had a Kentucky senator until 1998, South Dakota and South Carolina until 2004, Nebraska until 2012, Montana, South Dakota, Iowa, Arkansas, Louisiana, West Virginia, and North Carolina until 2014, Missouri, Florida, Indiana, and North Dakota until 2018, and Alabama until 2020. They were still considered the pro-black, pro-immigrant, pro-abortion, pro-gay, anti-gun party back then, they only won because at least some white people in certain states still put economic shyt first. It can happen again but Democrats need to deliver more than they have.

While Dems should do all of that, IMO it's naive to think it's going to win back many of these working class white voters.
It's just not the 1990s or 2000s anymore and social media/culture wars are what drive voters. They're literally out here in an anti-woke frenzy.


I just think Dems would be better off trying to get their own voters to come out than kissing the asses of GOP voters. Just my two cent..

 

[CrimsonTider]

Focusing on the "white working class" is too broad. They need to target more narrow segments if they want to make gains.


* Continue to support unions (and not just union leadership)

* Economically support the working class who have genuine economic need at the bottom - minimum wage, health care, tax credits, etc.

* Support small business over large corporations

* Support small farmers over corporate farmers

* Work harder to improve education quality in low-income neighborhoods, including rural

* Support the indebted poor over creditors

* Support home ownership among the poor and renters' rights over landlords


Even if they can't win the ethereal "white working class", there are gains to be made still in all those segments. And if they can position themselves as essential to people's livelihoods in those areas then they'll lose less ground when it comes to culture wars.

This strategy has worked before. Remember that the Democrats held the House for 40 straight years until 1994. They were still winning presidential elections in West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana in 1996, Indiana and North Carolina in 2008, Iowa, Ohio, Florida, and Maine in 2012. They had a Kentucky senator until 1998, South Dakota and South Carolina until 2004, Nebraska until 2012, Montana, South Dakota, Iowa, Arkansas, Louisiana, West Virginia, and North Carolina until 2014, Missouri, Florida, Indiana, and North Dakota until 2018, and Alabama until 2020. They were still considered the pro-black, pro-immigrant, pro-abortion, pro-gay, anti-gun party back then, they only won because at least some white people in certain states still put economic shyt first. It can happen again but Democrats need to deliver more than they have.

Lol

Whites want to protect being white. Republicans don’t give a fukk about white working class but they do care about protecting white privilege and that what they relate to

 

[Professor Emeritus]

Lol

Whites want to protect being white. Republicans don’t give a fukk about white working class but they do care about protecting white privilege and that what they relate to

You're failing to explain how so many white-dominant states have been winnable for the Dems in every era, like that entire list I gave.

I agree that Republicans don't give a shyt about the white working class. Which is why there are major subgroups of poor whites that the Democrats can still win. You can't claim they can't do it when they haven't even fukking tried - Democrats have been pro-corporate neoliberal "fukk the workers" shyt almost as much as Republicans since the 1990s. It's no surprise they lose those voters to culture wars when they haven't offered them much of anything besides marginally better health care. On education, on debt, on outsourcing, on protecting them from corporate bullshyt, they haven't seen any reason to think Democrats are going to be their answer.

Thinking that all white voters are just race warriors lost to the Democratic party is clown shyt better left for TLR.

 

[mastermind]

It's no surprise they lose those voters to culture wars when they haven't offered them much of anything besides marginally better health care. On education, on debt, on outsourcing, on protecting them from corporate bullshyt, they haven't seen any reason to think Democrats are going to be their answer.

This is exactly the truth.

And you can tell a few people didn't read the article because that's what is said there as well. If you don't offer any solutions to people's current issues, then they will fall in line with their base-level instincts of disliking the other. The Dems haven't offered anything, and the GOP have offered hatred.

The irony is a lot of the people saying, "white people are white peopling" can't explain why Barack Obama was elected president twice, and can't tell you anything the Democrats have offered that materially bettered people's lives. The other irony is the GOP offering is more in line with their own thinking than they believe.

 

[CrimsonTider]

You're failing to explain how so many white-dominant states have been winnable for the Dems in every era, like that entire list I gave.

I agree that Republicans don't give a shyt about the white working class. Which is why there are major subgroups of poor whites that the Democrats can still win. You can't claim they can't do it when they haven't even fukking tried - Democrats have been pro-corporate neoliberal "fukk the workers" shyt almost as much as Republicans since the 1990s. It's no surprise they lose those voters to culture wars when they haven't offered them much of anything besides marginally better health care. On education, on debt, on outsourcing, on protecting them from corporate bullshyt, they haven't seen any reason to think Democrats are going to be their answer.

Thinking that all white voters are just race warriors lost to the Democratic party is clown shyt better left for TLR.

You cited Bama in 2020. You really have no clue on what you’re talking about

Working class white in sourthern states don’t give a fukk about what dems have to offer because all they see is Dems offended and threatening their privilege

 

[CrimsonTider]

This is exactly the truth.

And you can tell a few people didn't read the article because that's what is said there as well. If you don't offer any solutions to people's current issues, then they will fall in line with their base-level instincts of disliking the other. The Dems haven't offered anything, and the GOP have offered hatred.

The irony is a lot of the people saying, "white people are white peopling" can't explain why Barack Obama was elected president twice, and can't tell you anything the Democrats have offered that materially bettered people's lives. The other irony is the GOP offering is more in line with their own thinking than they believe.

Y’all nikkas are at the height of delusional if you think the Dems can sway working class whites in southern and midwestern states

It’s just clear y’all have never spent any significant time around these folks.

 

[Professor Emeritus]

You cited Bama in 2020. You really have no clue on what you’re talking about

Go back to TLR breh, that's more your level.

I said the Dems had a senator in Alabama UNTIL 2020. Which they objectively did. If the Dems can rally enough votes that a minor scandal can get enough White Alabamans to switch sides and elect a democrat for Senator, then there's clearly gains to be made. That doesn't mean they'll win consistently in Alabama but they sure as hell can grab "some" white voters, which you claimed they couldn't.

Working class white in sourthern states don’t give a fukk about what dems have to offer because all they see is Dems offended and threatening their privilege

Which the Dems have been doing since 1965. And yet they still have won numerous Southern elections since then.

 

[mastermind]

The New Deal carried southern democrats damn near until 2000.

Anyone saying Dems shouldn’t offer economic gains to everyohe because ”whites are too racist” are the opps.