I like this low key approach. It is so hard not to get frustrated by the racist message we with dog's ears keep on hearing, that seem to resonate with so many white folks.
The class aspect of this inclusive message works for this old white guy who is pretty well off but whose parents were first generation Americans who grew up in the depression. My wife and kids still laugh at me for saving plastic bags and containers for re-use, just as did my mother. I will forward this to my congress critters.
Bingo! The author is onto something here and that something should scare both the rich liberal elitists on the left and the rich, bigoted leaders on the right. Once poor people of all color realize they have more in common than the two parties portray, things will get real. And the poor will have the biggest political clout. Watch for the pitchforks then, they are coming!
4
I don't get it. Inserting class warfare into this mess isn't "beating Trump at his own game", it's starting a whole new game. You're betting that the lumpen proles, so despised for their ignorance and knee- jerk hatreds, will drop their pitchforks and join your glorious and righteous revolution is a pipedream. I have seen the future, and it is orange.
If you really want to beat Trump at his own game, I'd say throw his insults back at him. Point out to the people how self-descriptive most of his insults are: "stupid", "sick", "savage", "worst president", "fake", and various scatological remarks.
Call him & his minions for what they are.
Brilliant! Thank you.
" a majority of those who responded positively to warnings about “people coming from terrorist countries,” “illegal immigration” and “criminal gangs” did not seem to recognize its racist elements."
I don't recognize racist elements either. "Criminal gangs" to me include the white supremacy groups that Trump hobnobs with. Is Ireland, home of the IRA, a former terrorist country? As far "illegal immigration", Latinos have a legitimate reason to resent people who came in illegally while they played with the rules. And who is more inherently criminal than Trump?
3
This strategy is the best way to turn racist populism into progressive populism and it is the only way to fracture the fearful and paranoid knot of Trump supporters who revolve around Fox. Gabe Sherman's article in Vanity Fair Sept. 29, 2019 shows how Fox is studying its future options in a post-Trump world. One Fox strategist said that Fox should remain loyal to Trump’s supporters, even if the network has to break from the man. “We need to represent our viewers,” the source said. “Fox is about defending our viewers from the people who hate them. That’s where our power comes from. It’s not about Trump.”
This is telling and Ian Lopez strategy is one way to break that. - David Korzenik
1
Bravo to this article and the research that supports its proposal. We need a national campaign to better informa and help deprogram fellow citizens who've been hypnotized by (and addicted to) Fox News and the right wing misinformation campaigns constantly polluting the airwaves and Internet.
The statement "As much as he is a bigot, Mr. Trump is also a con man sowing racial division to grab power for himself and other economic titans." is one to remember, including after Trump is gone.
2
When I read these articles which suggest ways to fight the "ugly" coming from Trump and the Republican party, I am always praying that the Democratic strategists and candidates are reading and paying attention.
Dems, you need to change your strategy. Do it right this time for goodness sake.
1
No doubt, republicans use dog whistles to incite. But the author of this piece seems to see racism under every leaf, behind every tree, every turn of phrase. The terms, “illegal immigration”, “gangs” and “ terrorist” are racist? Give me a break! Democrats have their own dog whistles, used to incite fear in their people.
There are good reasons why the majority of Americans, democrat and republicans, believe we should try to stop illegal immigration. Primary is not racism, it’s the rule of law and what’s in our national interest.
5
It dawned on me slowly over the last 40+ years that race trumps class in the scale of fears that drive individual behavior. White people would rather submit to a racist autocrat in the face of perceived inundation by the mud people than make common cause against the exploiting class. This realization has been a tough pill to swallow. To wash it down with the additional realization that the whole charade is a construct to maintain the status quo is REALLY difficult.
1
Trump has given Democratic presidential candidates all the ammunition they need: Ukraine, Russia, abandoning our Kurdish allies to slaughter by the Turks and allowing ISIS to revive its terrorist caliphate. By now all but the most comatose Republican should have realized the clear and danger Trump poses not only domestically but also as commander-in-chief of our armed forces, to our international trade and foreign policy in general. The benign explanation is that Trump is too stupid to be president, having been played for a sap by Putin, MBS, Erdogan, Netanyahu and his own lawyer, Giuliani, in cahoots with corrupt Ukrainian officials and mobsters from the Russian-Ukrainian Odessa Mafia, now residents of Florida and more recently a federal slammer. The more sinister explanation: Putin has something really bad on Trump that forces him to do the Kremlin's bidding.
3
Excellent. It takes a LOT of patience to use this solution, but it's best to appeal to how the average citizens are all in this thing together.
3
Read this https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/14/opinion/iowa-trump.html?fallback=0&recId=1SHxWwrWsyqCCLjxG6ura1BMmCO&locked=0&geoContinent=NA&geoRegion=FL&recAlloc=top_conversion&geoCountry=US&blockId=most-popular&imp_id=67243241&action=click&module=trending&pgtype=Article®ion=Footer
to understand why Mr. Haney is only partially right.
Liberal messaging needs to reclaim the language of positive values, and couch them in quasi-religious terms. Life, liberty ...
1
Mrs Clinton...all I wanted her to do is confront Trump in the debates, but she and her team concluded she should not risk looking like a curmudgeonly witch, so the high road. How did that work? I do not know who gets credit for confronting the bully of the 1950s, McCathy, by the “have you no shame” statement. Trump is a bigoted bully who will tell anyone who will listen they are being victimized. Like all bullies, Trump is a coward.
Who is up for the confrontation? Probably Joe, but maybe also Elizabeth, maybe Amy?
@John MacMahon...I’d love to see Pete take him on, simply because Pete has all the skills to debate him without getting “hooked” by something outrageous Trump would say.
I read an excellent book a few years back called the political brain written by a neuroscientist. It was eye opening how easily most people can be manipulated into voting against their own interests. Liberals for the most part me included, have an uneasy feeling using science to manipulate people into making the right choice for themselves. We need to get over it and use everything at hand to defeat Trump and his enablers in the Republican Party.
3
Excellent, well-proven approach. Politics has always been an "us against them" choice; the mega-rich conservative class (apart from obvious liberal leaners) have long used nationalism, racism, and communist threatenings to divide us. Acknowledge the problems of race relations; study them; implement solutions; get people talking. But make no mistake: greedy persons unwilling to pay their fair share -- even as they reap the benefits of their hard work and the country's blessings -- might do well to "kick in", before what they have earned is taken away by force.
1
Trump's violence is self perpetuating. He stirs up racial and mass murders, then subliminally blames it on democrats and immigrants. this leads to more violence and hatred which allows him to continue the cycle of violence as he provokes more violence. This he does even as he pretends to abhor violence. Note his crocodile tears over the violent video with his face interposed over that of a murderer attacking journalists and opponents. But of course it is all a joke as his followers take it very seriously, wink wink nod nod violence that allows him to pretend that he is not the cause. Trump's use of scape goats and violence as his basic campaign tactic makes him dangerous and promotes violence as the norm.
It isn't "an approach", it is simply plain truth!! Truth is Republicans have relabeled "class divide" to "racial divide" to obfuscate, misinform and redirect the attention of the economic inequality affecting ALL Americans of every race and color. Divide and conquer is the plan of the elitists against people uniting for a common cause. No better way to achieve that goal than to raise racial and ethnic hatred!!
1
Drop the word race. Just stick to what this really has always been about — a war against the middle class with the rich robbing us of the benefits of productivity won through our labors.
2
My man you nailed it once.
See 'Dog-Whistle Politics: How Coded Racial Appeals Re-Invented Racism and Wrecked the Middle Class' by Ian Haney Lopez
But from the context and perspective of black Africans in America caste aka color aka ethnicity aka national origin is inextricably intertwined with educational socioeconomic class.
While there are more white European Judeo-Christians in the lower caste/class than there are black African Judeo-Christians the black cohort percentage is distressingly higher.
There are 5x as many white people than there are blacks. But the white cohort is approaching that of blacks when a liberal white sage dismissed the black family 'as a tangled web of pathology that would benefit from a period of benign neglect.'
Compared to their white educational peers at every socioeconomic perch blacks suffer separately and unequally.
No amount of education nor socioeconomic prowess nor family stability has ever made anyone in my black African American as white and equal as Ivana and Melania Trump.
See 'The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism' Edward Baptist
'We didn't land on Plymouth Rock. It landed on us' Malcolm X
1
I suppose this approach is worth a try, but I fear it misses the larger attraction of racism, which is the ability to maintain superiority over a group of people who are labeled as “different” and therefore less worthy. The trick will be to persuade voters that they should identify with a different group (and defining that group in terms that aren’t inherently negative, such as “lower class”), without making them feel like they are being lumped together with a group they have scorned, historically (people of color). How can people feel superior to someone else if they are told they should identify with their “inferiors”?
1
This is the best political column I have read and the one that is an approach I think is important. Even as a white liberal I get tired of the word racist being tossed around so easily. It can be off putting. I believe in Affirmative Action in college admissions and have noted that it is more universally accepted when it is geared toward special consideration based upon class and those deserving help in overcoming poverty than when it is promoted as a remedy for for past racial discrimination.
I did not like either of the focus messages. Your class message is overbaked with that adjective "greedy".
I want messages to be honest and intelligent and I think most want that. The craziness of political ads that has been going on since Lee Atwater needs to stop.
When class is interjected into a conversation about race, it diffuses and obfuscates. To be sure, the intersection of race and class is an important one, but when we dig deep we find that the hegemonic power of whiteness is at the root of this intersection - by bringing in class, white fragility is assuaged because the discussion is no longer focused on race and racism; economics softens the conversation.
@Peter Hornbein: In places where the leaders aren't white, they tend to act just as badly as the white leaders in America. Maybe the problem is the power we give to leaders, not their skin color. The whites are in charge now, so they're the villains now, but get some other group in charge and you'll quickly discover that whiteness is not the problem.
To become more civilized, we have to civilize our leaders, and that means finding better ways to select them, and to keep them serving the people instead of just themselves.
1
This is smart. And it ought to be one of many strategies employed to counter the simplistic but highly effective message of Trump and the Republicans.
Democrats -- I am one -- continue to be overly polite, overly rational, and overly understated in their political opposition. Most of us loved Obama for his serene intelligence -- which Republicans hated, for racial as well as other reasons. And now they have a folk hero.
So we need to be doubly smart about how to counter the stubborn complexity of this mastermind of bluff and buffoonery who stands a good chance of dangerous clowning for four more years.
Trump -- and the myriad dark forces who defend him -- will not hesitate to do anything in the universe to keep him in office. Democrats have to be far more assertive, even aggressive, in countering their attacks. Liberal programs aren't enough -- radical political strategies and tactics are in order.
5
The switch to class consciousness seems like a great idea. But most Democrats get their money from the upper classes. Clinton and the Democratic Leadership Council rejected the labor demands to bring in big money donors. Wages, which had already stopped growing under Reagan, continued to stagnate through Obama and Clinton. Financial interests set the agenda. Today’s conflict in the Democratic Party is about the vested financial interests vs the FDR wing of the party. Once all Dems get behind the winning message of helping the average American, they’ll win. But Biden and the monied interests in the Democrats are too afraid to support limits on reckless capitalists who care little for social or economic justice.
Bottom line: good idea. Just won’t happen.
1
The real Trump message that resonates so well with the white working class is "your government has forgotten you while being focussed on minorities who have never pulled their weight", minorities being people of color, LGBTQ's, immigrants, environmentalists, and women (the kind who have to work to support their families).
The reality of Trump's "programs" have been tax breaks for the rich, dismantling of environmental laws, packing the courts with die hard conservatives who oppose the kind of social engineering that would insure societal fairness and a foreign policy that does nothing to promote free trade on an equitable basis.
The counter message that will resonate broadly is one that starts with an admission that we're all responsible for letting this happen but Trump doesn't have a clue how to fix things nor is he interested in fixing them. His only concern is to hold back progress thereby enriching his entrenched fellow billionaires.
That must be followed by asking whether people want a healthy, educated lifestyle within a fair and uncontaminated environment that offers hope for future generations. Trump offers war between ourselves over non-issues when what is needed is cooperation on a scale we've not seen since WWII. Granted, the price tag for this cooperation will be substantial in both time and money but we'll pay an unimaginable price for a Trump platform.
3
I too like the second message better than the first, because it shows hope and suggests a positive way forward. I am also an immigrant, now a citizen, but still have an outsiders perspective.
The first message is the more effective campaign message in today's America because for the last 100 years Americans have been raised in a country where citizens have been told they are in constant danger from some or other enemy.
I have lived in many parts of post war Europe. No one speaks of enemies.
In America, it is all about keeping us safe from our enemies. whether it is communists, terrorists, hispanics, atheists, socialists. You name it the GOP has established these groups as enemies of America in the minds of its supporters.
Americans, stop calling people with different beliefs, "our enemies"
4
Disturbing news in that AOC endorses Sanders for POTUS. Now I wonder about her judgement. Sanders just had a heart attack and is pressing to become prez at the ripe old age of 80. Is that smart? No, and in a very big way.
Trump may very well beat himself as he unravels on his own. But, the State of the Union is so dire after 3 yrs of this madman that we need unity here and now. We desperately need someone with intelligence and strength, and one who can pull a decent govt together.
The DNC is not helping. They are allowing Ed and his brother-in-law to run for prez and the disjointed display of little substance on the debate stage yesterday is typical. Attacking the front runner is not a winner's strategy. Yet, here we are once again working hard to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
For CNN ratings? A Reality Show format? I am truly, truly worried now.
1
I believe this analysis and prescription misses two key points. First, Trump’s racists appeals work well in a social media environment where provocative fear messages become viral and good feeling progressive messages do not. Second, Trump has just committed a grievous policy error in Syria which releases ISIS prisoners, supports Russia and Iran and risks our national security. Focusing on this misstep will travel well and also persuade a certain percentage of Trump’s base to question his fitness for office.
Mr. López presents a well research message that proved effective with a very diverse audience.
What is needed now is a very effective mechanism to deliver that message.
I am not optimistic that one can be found to counter the right wing propaganda machine.
Totally agree with the premise. Solidarity is the name of our game. Don't let them divide us.
Weaponized identity politics are a major gift to Trump/Pence/McConnell & company -- they will always win that awful contest.
If "white people" hadn't become a common insult on social media and corporate mass media we wouldn't have Trump. But these days virtue-signaling is out and class-consciousness is in -- and that's great news.
1
There are some shaky premises scattered through Mr Lopez' piece starting with the pieces that he used to test attitudes.
None of the threat implications had any explicit connection to ethnicity. "Illegal immigrant" is a person who enters a country in breach of the law, or with intent to breach the law. As an example: I am Anglo-Caucasian, if I entered America by wading the Rio Grande or with a tourist visa and intent to work, I am as "illegal" as any undocumented Latino.
"Terrorist countries" are predominantly moslem but there is a wide range of ethnicity involved. The number of religious 'nutters' originating in the UK would almost qualify it as a "terrorist country".
"Criminal gang" is also a non-ethnic phrase, since criminal gangs in the US have covered almost all known ethnicities. 'Overrun with drugs and criminal gangs' could describe anywhere from Afghanistan to Zululand.
On consideration, it is no wonder that clear majorities of people found Mr Lopez' first statement convincing.
2
The country needs to come together to defend the country and the Constitution against Trump. Period. What a strange but necessary thing to say.
8
Too many Americans have died from cartel drugs to make your argument acceptable to me and, I'll bet, to most Americans. Also, telling us that MS-13 and other brutal gangs are our own fault just rubs salt into the wounds and begets more Trumps.
4
I hope some Democratic politicians or their strategists read this article. They need it.
5
As someone said, we need a bumper sticker slogan.
Trump is a Neonazi KKK supporter who has no honor, no class and is corrupt and immoral. And the republicans are cowards who won’t stand up to him.
I’m sure someone can create a few slogans. ‘Lock him up’ being one of them.
3
How about we just impeach, convict, remove Trump because he abused his office and broke the law?
6
Sometimes in order to prevail you just have to call a liar a liar, a cheat a cheat , and a fraud a fraud. Talking about class and race in the same breath IS important but also not losing sight of the fact that we have the equivalent of Caligula in the Oval Office is critical. Often the truth is not complicated , it is simple and the answers are just as simple.
5
Good approach. But see William S. Oser's post. In fact there are many naysayers on this thread. And they too are right.
Not everyone believes in "kumbaya" come together and solve our problems works. IMO, this is the core problem with humanity - tribalism is more important on the Maslow hierarchy of needs than universal cooperation - even in the face of Climate Change, or anything else. Why else do we keep having wars. Think through the behavioral and evolutionary economics of personal existence and it's pretty clear. We have not evolved to cooperate with all of humanity or to actively save our planet.
One of the first things we need to do is accept that we are imperfect and seek to evolve. First culturally, as individuals, and then our genes will take the hint. If not, well, there's always AI's potential to replace us.
If I were an optimist, I would think, "perhaps Trump is our wake-up call."
28
@Johnny Comelately
'kumbaya..... sarcasm for unrealistic unity and harmony. But our real kumbaya is between our wealthy corporate mega donors and our politicians who depend on their donations.
Donors get good return on investment, then higher profits shared with politiciians as campaign donations. Very cozy with shared aims and values.
Most citizens can't afford this investment thus are more angry, confused and alienated. Enter Trump.
Other advanced democracies, even with all their problems, are better able to agree on and fund their 'hierarchy of needs'---- medical care, tuition, family benefits, and a basic floor of security for citizens. They've settled a lot of what we still fight over.
14
@Johnny Comelately
Thanks for the tip of the hat to my comment, and anyon who brings Maslow's hierarchy into the discussion is doubly OK with me, one of my favorite theories of psychology.
@Johnny Comelately Yeah, Trump and other Republican politicians are exploiting tribal behaviour for their own gain. Sometimes the democrats do it also.
I think the problematic behaviour is more fundamental. The ones who are successful and powerful are happy with the status quo and they're really one tribe. Even though they act like they're fighting, the Trump billionaires and the liberal billionaires are all on the same side and most of this is just show so they can retain their billions and power.
What we don't have are people like Gandhi who did not want to be a politician but still was persuasive for a just cause. Right now, is there anyone running for President who is doing so for our sake rather than theirs? Is anyone who might've started off this way (altruistically) still doing it once they've had some fame/power/money?
If Gandhi is too high a bar (at least in these respects) then how about Carter - why isn't Obama like Carter? And I mean I really like Obama - I think he's a good/just person and yet he seems to be cashing in while Carter is building homes for the poor in his 90s.
We have too few Carters and too many Trumps and many people that are famous/powerful/wealthy closer to Trump than to Carter.
11
Political scientists and strategists put far too much faith in the validity of their work.
I am convinced that fundamental political alignment in the U.S. will be driven by demographic change: as America becomes less white, it will become more liberal.
In 1950, America was 89.3% white. It was a nation in which Jim Crow laws thrived, as did conservative politics.
Today, the percentage of Americans who are white stands at just 60.9%.
This America may well elect a liberal president. In 2045, whites will comprise just 49 percent of the population. It's hard to imagine this coming America as a nation capable of electing a Trumpian president.
It is not coincidental that as California went from being overwhelmingly white to strikingly diverse its politics flipped from solid Republican to deep blue.
45
@Ricardo Chavira your prediction is that in 2045 someone not white would be allowed to vote. The way be are going we are not in a democracy any longer where every vote counts.
2
@Ricardo Chavira
I think that you need to revisit your vision. Ethnicity and "liberalism" are not closely correlated.
Look at the countries around the world that are non-white or white minority and you find the same notions of superiority and privilege, translated to other tribal divisions.
Twenty years from now a neo-Trump will only need to find a different point of contention and discord to succeed to the "throne".
3
@Ricardo Chavira Those who feel cornered and terrified are very dangerous. The GOP, faced with adverse demographics, will double down on voter suppression & gerrymandering - if not outright overthrow of the Constitution and seizure of all power.
3
Growing up in the Deep South in the 50’s and 60’s, I saw clearly that dog whistle messaging wasn’t necessary. Now, as the author notes, the messaging is carefully crafted by focus groups. I’m not sure it is necessary for such careful word-smithing. Whites in the Deep South have, by and large, been saturated with a false sense of superiority to all other racial groups since long before the Civil War. The landed gentry learned early on that maintenance of their position in society was critically dependent on buy-in by the white middle and lower classes to that social hierarchy, distracting them from the blatant wealth inequality going back centuries. Until the Democratic Party crafts a message and policy platform that overcomes the inertia of those centuries, we will continue down the path of division and rancor. I hope for a better future, yet it is diminished daily by the never-ending RW vitriol coming from DJT, Fox, et. al.
54
@Billfer
Excellent commentary!!!
Your presentation of the historical facts of societal differences enabling the "gentry" to maintain their wealth inequality was/is base on the illusion of white supremacy, is very much on point.In so far as the Democratic Party initiating a contevalant initiative to overcome the "inertia of those centuries "...it seems to me the power of change will not occur until we as individuals first seek out solutions and then gather amongst similar minds to formulate a change.
2
Uniting citizens across social class, regardless of race, makes perfect sense. Part of the problem, though, is that Republicans have done a good job of branding Democrats as "elitist" and have convinced their supporters that Democrats are making policies that favor racial over socioeconomic interests.
Democrats need to figure out ways to make people see, in easily understandable terms, that Republican policies are hurting them not only economically, but physically when it comes to the degradation of air and water standards that disproportionately affect the poor and by their constant attempt to take health care away from millions of Americans.
47
@Morals Matter
" Republicans have done a good job of branding Democrats as "elitist""
And Democrats gave them a lot of help in 1973 when they removed an important issue from Democratic control and insinuated that their critics were too stupid to understand constitutional law.
Mr. Lopez definitely has a point worth making here, and certainly this is a strategy that needs to be tried.
But I am not sure it is likely to be as effective as hoped, simply because part of the reactionary oligarchs' strategy is to control the messaging so thoroughly that the people who might be swayed by such a message are never exposed to it, but are kept in their own little bubbles of AM talk radio, Breitbart, Drudge, and Fox Prime Time.
For the most part, the younger people are, the more likely they are to experience diverse sources of political news, due to their being digital natives, and this certainly contributes to the big progressive/conservative age cohort distinction. But even among many younger people, the disadvantages of watered down education through high school, especially the lack of civics curriculum, becomes an almost insuperable barrier to getting the information to them.
So the message is effective, but like an antibiotic, only if it can reach the infected before that infection is overwhelming. And in many parts of "flyover" country, people have long since been overwhelmed.
51
@Glenn Ribotsky Being a writer, I just wish I had the connections, like this reporter, to openly plug my book in a NYTimes piece, about it's contents.
1
@Glenn Ribotsky You nailed it, Glenn. Thanks for the post.
@Glenn Ribotsky
I wouldn't be so pessimistic. Even in "deep red" states there are more independents/non-voters/etc than hardcore GOP voters.
And there are many ways to reach people with this message, especially in person. Bernie has gotten a surprisingly warm reception with this kind of message when he's gone on Fox itself (ie. his town hall)
5
If you can't fit it on a bumper sticker, most of America will never hear it. Trump has been successful at condensing his messages down into 10 words or less: "Build The Wall!" "Lock Her Up!" etc. Democrats' problem is that they are always trying to explain stuff, which takes too many words. People have the attention span of gnats these days.
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@SouthernBeale
Exactly correct. Trump probably uses a lot less than 10 words (me, me, me, you). Think of a 30-second video commercial. If people do not remember the brand and a message, then it's a total waste of production and media money.
Nonetheless, a graphic or video presentation is more effective than words alone. Remember the politician who would hold up graphic cards to teach a point. That is why classrooms have blackboards.
The pitch that the top "one-tenth of one percent" of the population has more wealth than the bottom 20 percent (200 times as much), is an astounding fact, yet I'm sure 99% of the population doesn't understand the message.
Who realizes that a billionaire ($1,000,000,000) has the equivalent of 1,000 millionaires ($1,000,000). If this were shown on a large poster, it would make most peoples' jaw to drop. A billlionaire has as much wealth as 1,000 millionaires.. Who believes that astounding fact?
Consider Elizabeth Warren's "2 cent " tax on the wealthy: I don't know what that means, and I'm a high school graduate. How, then, are Trump's base of high school dropouts going to understand it?? She was a college professor, so she should be able to make an effective graphic of the disparity in wealth, top to bottom.
Start with a billion ($1,000,000,000).
10% of that is $100,000,000
2% is $20,000,000 (Twenty million)., leaving the billionaire with $980,000,000, Nothing to cry about..
13
@Samm
I remember a stunning graphic some years ago of a parade of Americans who height was proportional to net assets. More than half of Americans did not appear at all being 'underwater', then a bunch gradually increasing in height (the remainder of the once-strong middle class) and at the head of the parade the 0.01 per cent whose heads were in the stratosphere. That graphic I need to find again. Very powerful image.
1
@SouthernBeale
Jared Bernstein had the most succinct formulation: WITT v. YOYO
'We're In This Together' versus 'You're On Your Own.' I vote for the social contract, that quaint enlightenment concept that was the basis of our country's origin.
Very interesting article. The real import is that it isn't the content but the manner in which the message is presented. Don't criticize the individuals who harp on hateful racist, religious or other offensive statements. Attack the message, and show how it deflects focus on the offensive other policies. Not sure it will work, but at this point everything is worth trying.
68
This kind of message is the way back to the Democratic Party of old -- a big tent of people whomare striving to achieve the American Dream.
Candidates should be able to (and must) attach programs and policies to the class-race message. The.Democratic candidates cannot run on anti-Trump messages alone. [Many centrist voters would be turned off by just a "Trump is bad" message.] They need to run on a positive program that benefits ordinary Americans.
89
@PJD -- do you only want the strivers, or do you want to keep people who actually achieve the dream in the party?
Class has always been america's dirty little secret. A prime example was when Martin Luther King Jr., started discussing unequal wealth. how poor White, Black and Hispanic boys were being asked to fight disproportionately in Vietnam while upper income and wealthier boys were granted deferments. Suggesting a poor people;s march etc..
Suddenly his so called "allies," abandoned him , told him to shut up and stay focused on race. The elites exposed their true colors so-to-speak. It was about maintaining the status quo while distributing bits of crumbs to the lower income masses to keep them mildly appeased..
39
Instead of "class", a relic of feudal societies, we may counter racial bias by using "fairness" as the rallying cry. All human beings, I believe, would like to be treated fairly. The goal of democracy is to achieve fair treatment of everyone - as we are all created equal. I am not equipped to turn fairness into a campaign sound bite. Perhaps the Dems can run on fairness as Trump clearly does not play fair.
125
Yes, I believe you are right that all human beings want to be treated fairly. However, I also believe they do not necessarily want others to be treated fairly.
7
ONCE MORE I challenge the NYT to publish my letter. This is not to belittle women who are intellectually superior with excellent well thought-out proposals. This article makes some excellent points about subtle messaging from the Master Wind-Bag. "Bad people" are everywhere, and the Democrats and the media are "full of them". Where he brings success and greatness, his opponents reward criminal gangs and send our jobs overseas. At rallies (fully covered by Fox News), his loyal followers are made to feel welcome, but it's the people outside the arena without the red caps that are threatening- even dangerous. "People with Dark Skins lead the country in drug smuggling, rape, and murder". You "should be afraid", and remember- "if you're worried for your safety, get a gun for the house, the car, and keep one under your belt, too."
So my idea is simple and no doubt some will think I've "gone over the edge". Perhaps they're right. BUT what I would like, no LOV∂E to see, is DJT debate a combat veteran like Mayor Pete who defended his country and didn't invent a lame excuse (bone spurs) for not serving when called upon. Or Beto O'Rourke who is warm and intelligent, but also quite TALL. who could stand next to Trump and warn him against name calling or lying "if he knows what's good for him". This show, this contest, is about WHO is the ALPHA male, WHO is the most vibrant, the smartest, and THE TOUGHEST man on stage. Intimidate, dominate, and if you have to- humiliate.
3
Unecessarily complicated. Test " Do you think the system is rigged? Be mad at the ones who rigged it."
4
The people who are turned off by calling Trump a racist are the people who agree somewhat with the racist things that he says. Plenty of Trumpers will say that he is just saying what they were thinking.
5
Just stop. Race? Class? Nobody cares. Stop letting Trump dictate the conversations and the rules. Stop reacting to him, stop getting outraged. He’s just trying to get a rise out of you. The way to beat Trump is to start laughing at him, start disrespecting him, start sneering at him, start mocking him. Paint him constantly as the incompetent joke that he is. He will melt like the Wicked Witch of the West.
11
@Beverlyj yes, that will beat Trump...but it won't beat the people who led to him and who are cashing in. the article is exactly right about how to win that fight.
2
@Beverlyj
Shave trump's head, and he will become the epitome of the frightening evil clown. We already know that as would-be emperor he struts around naked.
The self-reliant identity of rural, small town, and exuban voters makes them hostile to government roles in their lives.
Franklin Roosevelt, tailored his message to these passions and overcame them. Speaking of farm families' losses in the Depression, he explained government role on their behalf in terms they understood. Not a message of social welfare, do-goodism. Instead, he said, "The mothers and fathers of today's farmers built their homes. Their children will fight to keep them and we will help them win their fight."
6
If we had a more equitable economic system, then race hostility wouldn’t take such a hold. The GOP unbalances our economy, then enflames hostile competition between groups. To criticism, the big money and politicians claim they're victims of ‘left wing big govt interfering in American Freedoms.’
Our Court said any limits on mega donor money is anti-1st Amendment Free Speech. They used our Constitution to muffle the voices of average Americans. With our history of racial division, this fires the flames of resentment and competition,
Our mega donors equate low taxes and weak regulations with 'American Freedom', as their profits pile up. The GOP thinks up excuses & Dems don’t fight back hard enough, They want to avoid the 'left wing' label the GOP slaps on them.
The GOP conditioned many voters to mistrust their elected govt & vote against their own interests.
Enter Trump, exploiting our weakening living standards & downward mobility, to foment resentment between groups.
So, the crucial 1st step to stop warring factions is to restore the economic equality & upward mobility America had generations ago.
With GOP Pres Ike, the rich had a 91% tax marginal tax rate on highest incomes. Low or free state college tuition was paid by taxes. Ike led our biggest ever infrastructure project in US history, the natl highway system. Unions were strong, pay and benefits rose. Past norms are abnormal today.
1
Why assume people coming from terrorist countries wish us harm? Same with those fleeing places with drugs and gangs.
Why assume they don't want to follow our laws? Most immigrants are seeking safety and a better life, and want to be part of this country, not an enemy. Our whole past history shows this.
The GOP use fear and hostility to manipulate public opinion, then they proclaim their policies are what Americans want.
4
After traveling the country and seeing the "fly over cult", I want Trump to win again. I want these ma and pa Fox nihilists to own it.
IvankaTrump is now Orthodox Jewish so Trump is likely not anti-semitic. I think. Who knows really.
He certainly does use code words to wink at some of his base's anti-Semitism while at the same time favoring Israel in all ways in actual policy. So racists vote for him and many Jews do too seeing his actual policy is speaking louder than his words.
But this is a very dangerous Devil's Bargain for Jewish people. As Trump stirs the pot of oily black hatred, when will another politician, perhaps a fervent evangelical Christian who sees "danger" in consorting with "Christ-killer" Jews, cross the now blurry line and exclude Israel and the Jews in American foreign policy? Hating on Blacks as our president clearly does in word and deed can only lead to more hatred of the Other, and there is no group more the "Other" than Jews on Planet Earth. No one and no group is safe from hate when the hate rolls.
4
So my question is, what are the numbers?
This is all that matters.
1
Sorry, but in my lengthy experience with narcissistic people, my takeaway is that there is no victory, simply eliminating the intensity of their won skirmishes is the best possible outcome. My family of origin was controlled by my mother's narcissistic younger brother. Over the years I removed myself further and further from any contact with him, thereby controlling the damage he was able to inflict on me. That experience left me with a rabid repulsion to narcissistic people and their enablers. The moment one of them asks me to do something, it is an absolute certainty that I will not, even if it is something I would have done gladly if asked by someone else. They come the secondary forces with "please, please do this so that XYQFN won't get angry and inflict his wrath on everyone else." Nope, still no! But one or even a hundred or a thousand of me will not slow Donald Trump down. If we can unelect him, and from my mouth to God's ears, we can limit the destruction he is inflicting on the United States and Democracy, but nothing stops someone like that man.
10
So much effort in beating Trump makes me feel that majority of NY Times editors and readers are fearful of him being re-elected. If that is the case, perhaps the Dems should put forth better candidates worth voting for or those that excite the base.
This is the weakest and largest Democratic field in decades.
2
@John
Heh. That's what I felt about the Republican field in 2016's race for the White House.
5
The Vietnam War draft dodger and the castrated Republican Party persistently play the racer card by racial pandering to less than college educated Caucasians, disproportionately less than high school diploma recipients, dog whistling and PA expressing that "they" are better, and smarter, than "them." Mr. Lopez's erudite, compellingly articulate opinion is dead right on! The Democratic Party can achieve significant inroads into these areas by application of an effective racial economic presentation of programs appealing to all persons. Dismantling and destroying the warped mindset that dominated the Richard M. Nixon/GOP's 1968 Southern Strategy to deprive Governor George Wallace of acquiring substantial electoral success in the Deep South and the Border States will not happen overnight. Even today, MAWA supporters firmly belief that in the final analysis their white skin privilege 'trumps' persons of black and brown complexions. Accentuating economic opportunity programs receptive to all persons is key. The draft dodger and the party of Lincoln know that a significant diminution loss of their core constituency seals their electoral fate, rendering the Republican Party to permanent 'minority' party status. Race matters.
6
Trump voters could not care less about the issue of economic class. Oh, they talk a good act about being "left behind", but it's nothing but cover.
This isn't why they remain in lockstep with a mentally deranged tyrant. Trump voters weren't "hoodwinked". They knew they wouldn't get their coal mining jobs back or that "beautiful health care plan".
So why are Trump voters still with him? News flash - it isn't because Democrats don't take their "economic concerns" seriously.
So what do Trump voters really want? Permission from no less than the U.S. President to be openly racist. To finally have a president who tells them that as whites, they are the only "real" Americans, and the rest of us should be content with the scraps of second-class citizenship, and if we're not, then we should go back to "where we came from."
Recall that every racist screed by Trump has been met with fervent support by his base. He has double downed on claiming that the KKK and neo-Nazis are some very fine people. He did this to continue to secure their undying love. Dems would need to be as racist and bigoted as Trump to begin to secure any of his voters.
Trump voters love their faux victimhood. They are much like Trump himself - willfully ignorant and unwilling to take responsibility for their own actions. He tells them that all their problems are, of course, someone else's fault - you know, those brown skinned people?. This is all they want from Trump. This is all they've ever wanted.
66
@Charles Dodgson Sure wish I knew where "in absentia" was (by your definition). Shame on you if you're not in the Midwest, and you're judging/defining these people from afar based on the worst of them. I'm sorry, but I think you're absolutely nuts if you think that all 62.9M who voted for Trump are the same and are racists. This kind of thinking (that they're all hopeless bigots etc.) helps his reelection.
There are millions and millions of 2016 Trump voters who can be (and "should" be) brought into the fold of sanity. Not sure I want to be under that tent with you, however.
5
@EMH , I live in a deeply Red state. And the comments I've described are exactly what I hear from Trump voters here every week. Not once have I ever heard them say that education was important, that science was important, or that facts matter. I never once heard that they were still waiting for Trump to deliver on jobs, or that "beautiful" health care program. But I do hear a lot of comments from Trump voters talking about "those people who should go back to where they came from", speaking of any brown skinned people. This is fundamentally who Trump voters are. And the rest of us have been painfully naive to think otherwise.
16
The question is not how to woo dyed-in-the-wool Trump fans but those who voted for Obama and then Trump. I agree that many Trump supporters are unreachable, but this article provides a strategy for persuading those in limbo.
5
An excellent piece, very helpful. The only thing I would add is Trump employs dog whistles to exploit racism, but he also has used a bull horn from time to time.
4
A noble attempt, Mr. López, but one that will fall upon deaf ears. Democrats appeal to white voters first; African-Americans come later. The Democrats know that their only opportunity to unseat Donald Trump is to appeal to the whites who thought they would find Nirvana by throwing in with Donald Trump. These voters—who haven’t done well at all under No. 45 and are grumbling about it are given to think that they might have to share a new prosperity with blacks—will stick with the president. It’s their susceptibility to the “dog whistles” and the codes at which Republicans are expert at messaging that obliterate class considerations.
The white working coalition that carried Ronald Reagan to the White House for two terms was so besotted by the blatant racist trappings of Reagan’s candidacy (“welfare queens” in 1976 and states’ rights in 1980) that they were caught looking the other way when their hero began blowing up labor unions and collective bargaining. Republicans have known since Barry Goldwater that their appeals to racism level the electoral playing field.
LBJ’s Great Society (Civil Rights; Voting Rights; Fair Housing, e.g.) came at a huge expense; the hemorrhaging of whites from the party from even George Wallace (D) to Richard Nixon completed the coup. And nowhere has “class” been mentioned as a viable weapon to build a white working class coalition; they don’t want solidarity, especially with blacks. They want the whole thing for themselves.
Republicans know this.
15
The fact that after three years of Trump's disgraceful behavior: his blatant, unabashed and continual lying, his betrayal of our allies, pandering to our enemies, incendiary race baiting, mockery, obstruction of justice, literal threats to the safety of our press and his use of the power of his office to browbeat, manipulate and defame anyone he deems his political enemy... after all this, that we still have to think of special ways - backed by studies and stats - to appeal to the so-called "persuadable" voter in order to attempt to defeat a morally bankrupt autocrat, is a condemnation of persuadable voters at large: distracted, incurious, lazy, apathetic, spoiled, entitled and wantonly harebrained.
10
This was a thoughtful article. Trump is strong in formerly progressive parts of the country like the Iron range in Minnesota, and North Dakota. These parts of the country are "all white" nary a person of color to be seen. ND rejected Heidi Heitcamp who is a examplar of what the author advocates. So...where is the hope there? I think you look at growing Hispanic populations all throughout the South and Texas, and additionally not just Hispanics, but a large rate of intermarriage among the ethnicities and races that's where opportunity is found. And also praise opportunity, and free enterprise. There is a chasm between a rich white academic from the North, and a Hispanic with his white wife who have just opened their bodega in South Carolina. Win the latter, and you win the election.
9
Oh, yeah, class...we aren’t rich and have some. Trump is allegedly wealthy and has none.
14
Whatever Trump's politics, his appeal is not so much based on who he targets. He is superficial to the umpteenth degree. His portfolio is singular -- he is the class clown, dealing in prejudice and targeting the weak by attacks designed to be biting and humorous rather than overtly vicious. He prevails over those who are always sincere and kind and boring in the process. Dethroning the class clown is easy if you are at least as clever and have the material to go at the easiest target of his invective. Him.
Trump is such an easy target, anyone with wit and persistence can destroy him.
5
To beat Trump at his game, one also has to defeat the Democratic Party establishment: they're all millionaires and preponderantly white.
2
@Louis Anthes. Demagoguery and nonsense. Successful Democrats are not the enemy. Trump is.
9
The New York Times and the Democrats should stop saying his name, only, "The current president". Class always makes people howl about socialism, you know, like the 93% effective tax rate in 1953 socialism, or the 'socialism' of our government for sale socialism. All ya gotta do, is spread some money around. How about corruption? Let's send the banisters to jail. Let's set up some regulations that help keep the 4rth Amendment of the Constitution. Let's declare homelessness unsightly to the rich, as Trump has argued, and raise a luxury tax, and a High Frequency Trading tax, to get rid of something that offends rich people's eyes.
1
There once was a Wizard of Hate, Lies and Stupidity called Trump who hid behind a curtain and did all kinds of terrible things to his kingdom called The US of A. He claimed to have won an election but everyone knew it was rigged. His followers, the Republicans, the right wing fanatics, the racists and Fox News were known as Lions with no courage, Scarecrows with no brains and Tin Men with no hearts. There were a few decent people in his court at different times but they all left because he was such a bully, nasty, egocentric and averse to the Constitution. His subjects were initially naive but started to see through his corruption, lies, and deceit by the middle of his first, fake term.
Other terrible people in his court were Barr, Pompeo, Giuliani, Miller, McConnell, DeVos and many others - all hypocrites who claimed they were people of faith. The only faith they had was in their greed and immoral existence. Everything they said were lies and they were all terrified of being singled out by the guy at the top who wanted to be king like all his other tyrant friends.
But, lucky for the US of A, and the rest of the world, they crumbled and disappeared from the face of the earth, before the pogroms could start. All left to be judged by their own shallow being.
2
I'm a firm believer in writing your dreams and wishes down on paper ... they have a great chance of coming true!
1
call trump what you want but repeating the nonsense that he is antisemitic immediately destroys one's intellectual credibility. his two closest friends and advisors (stephen miller and jared kushner) are both jewish, as are his daughter and grandchildren. he also spends a lot if his time criticizing a Minnesota congresswoman for being, you guessed it, antisemitic.. also, he's probably a little too supportive of Israel..
3
@Andrew Edge
He attacked the American Jewish population who vote Democratic as disloyal. His campaign used anti-Semitic tropes when it portrayed Hillary Clinton's image superimposed over Stars of David suggesting improper support by US and other Jewish "internationalists." Might Putin have assisted in this effort?
LBJ expressed it most succinctly: "If you can make the worst white man think he's better than the best black man, he'll let you pick his pocket every time." This has been Republican strategy for more than 50 years.
32
Your reference for Trump "painting his antagonists in racist and antisemitic hues" was a video tweeted by the President of direct quotes of all of his political opponents... calling for his impeachment. Literally nothing in that video had anything to do with race or antisemitism. He only highlighted the "sole focus" the Democrats have shown on impeachment instead of policy.
If you can't be trusted to be honest about this accusation, why should the rest of your accusations be trusted?
1
If you want to alienate voters, keep implying that they're susceptible to "dog whistle" political tactics. How insulting can you get?
"After Mr. Trump’s election, I co-founded a research project to figure out how to counter the campaign tactics he used."
How often do the Times print an article from the conservative perspective, on the same subject? Never.
This is clear example that the Times has abandoned its role as a news source, and turned itself into a biased political tool.
Brilliant!
"Savages" is what the guy who just left our nukes in Turkey, stranded 1000 American troops, cut loose ISIS terrorists, and betrayed an ally. All while he is also tweeting garbage about Dancing With the Stars.
We have an executive branch that does not follow our laws and yet he is blabbering that immigrants are the problem.
The racism and classism are secondary to Trump's outright criminality.
9
Go ahead and play Trump's game. Let him set the rules. Just don't come whining to me when he mops up the floor with the democrat candidates as he did with "the best and brightest" republicans in 2016.
Have you learned nothing? Do you actually want hm to win reelection?
https://emcphd.wordpress.com
1
"“Democrat Savages,” President Trump recently tweeted, are driving the impeachment against him. When he then named in particular two Jewish congressmen and four congresswomen of color — Jerry Nadler of New York, Adam Schiff of California and the quartet that includes Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York — the racist connotations of the “savage” slur buzzed."
How ridiculous. The two guys in charge of the investigation are Schiff and Nadler, who would obviously be his choice for an attack. Did Trump pick them to be his opposition in the hearings? Of course not, so their religion has nothing to do with this. As far as the so-called "squad" goes, they've been attacking him continually as well. Did he personally pick them to make up some of his biggest Congressional detractors? Again, no. He's simply attacking his biggest opponents who just happen to be of color.
Excellent and logical piece. NYT....keep this coming!
1
How come ‘Black’ gets a capital B and ‘brown’ doesn’t? It sounds funny to my dog’s ears.
4
Or the Dems could just run ads featuring Bob Dylan's incisive 'Only a pawn in the their game' over images of Trump's blacked out tax returns, Nazi style salutes at rallies of hysterical supporters, and blatant handouts to fat cats and fascist dictators memorialized by photo opportunity handshakes in the Oval Office these past three or so years. It shouldn't really shouldn't take all of Madison Avenue to sell a message that sells itself, but a little helpful repetition of the message in this brain addled era of mood altering pharmaceuticals and 'smart' phones wouldn't hurt.
17
“It’s the inequality, stupid.”
1
This is great, but remember: corporate interests and wealthy reactionaries have gazillions of dollars to pour into PR, advertising and media expertise no Democrat has ever had significant access to. That investment scarcely shows up in 'campaign funding'. It's a huge advantage for the business party. This research is a triumph but it's about a generation late.
This should be required reading for every American.
4
While the race and class messaging seems true, those people emotionally trapped in the right wing media echo chamber have been given the impression for years that their tax money largely goes to help blacks even those the actual statistics often don't show that with more whites receiving the benefits. This false idea that tax money from whites mainly goes to blacks has been drummed into people's head for years and they probably have heard it so many times that they no longer question it. Trump's strategy is all based on lies and half truths, a stable of right wing media. The Democrats have to reach people who have at least some exposure to mainstream media. Those people they may be able to persuade with better messaging.
1
Color matters in this country, but one color matters more than all the others: green.
3
It continually amazes me that Democrats, with few exceptions, cannot craft messages that state some pretty obvious truths like these from the author. By allowing Republican radical messages to stand without common sense responses, they do a disservice to the MAJORITY who voted against this president!
3
Old news. Basically you are proposing the exact inverse of what Trump did in 2016 when he pitched the beleaguered working class whites and other minorites against the elitists-and it worked.
Amen to this message. Distill it down: if you make your living from your wages rather than from your wealth, Democratic policies will help you.
2
Capital vs. Labor
That is all you need to know, and capital is winning by a very large margin. Most American's do not understand this basic concept. The nominee of the dem's need to just run one commercial across all media to expain this. Liz Warren is the only one who get's it (and Bernie, but a little too extreme and all the rage). She is the FDR for 2020. It's not racism, it's economic class warfare. Preaching to the chior here on NYT, but maybe you can help by educating a few . I have not proofed this email.
2
I'm curious to see if this messaging works in the south. Even if it doesn't work right away, constant exposure to the messaging might weaken the power of the dog whistle. I mean, these folks won't even expand Medicaid because it might accidentally cover some "undeserving" blacks somewhere. The indoctrination runs deep.
4
As it happens, I’m traveling to North Carolina at the end of this week to see how well this approach works there. People on the ground are doing their best to bring it to life.
1
DEFANG THE DOG WHISTLE? You could'a fooled me! I never knew that dog whistles had fangs. Much less canines. Teeth, that is. I believe that Trump's central and most dangerous message involves his constant, illegal, incitement to violence. The proof is that he was found guilty by Judge David Hale for encouraging his supporters to "get rid of" protesters, at a rally. The supporters injured some of the protesters. The case is on appeal. That's how Trump wins most cases--by running out the clock or wearing out those who challenge him. Frankly, I think that it's important to confront his deteriorating behavior. He was tested neurologically with a test used for those with severe dementia. Of course he passed with flying colors. Because his deficient processing is moderate bordering on severe. His impulse control, never strong, has recently been totally absent. Trump was conned by Erdogan into withdrawing US troops, leaving the loyal, highly skilled Kurdish militia stuck in the middle. Forcing them to seek protection from the Syrians, Russians and Iranians. It is essential that voters get clear messages about how disorganized, unpredictable and destructive Trump's behavior is. If he starts a NOO KYUH LER war that wipes all life forms off of planet Earth, is it going to matter what color they were, much less, if human, what their religious beliefs and attempting to escape some of the most violent countries in the Americas. Trump will leave nothing to invade or win!!
Unfortunately it is as much about the messenger than it is about the message and the loudest messenger is always the most influential.
As the bonds of decency that made America great begin to unwind, what we all fear most is the very real sense that the current momentum still strongly favours continued unraveling of the fabric of America.
Wow, this is powerful messaging and I got it..this could be the building blocks we need to help get our nation re-united, and working together again. I say go for it....
9
This author says the obvious. Policies intended to help working families will also help people of color. They will, of course, actually will help the entire country. As obvious as this is, apparently Democratic candidates have often missed this, and in devotion to the donor class they have based their campaigns on cultural issues.
If the Democratic Party were consistent in working for economic justice, they would win. And so would the country. Our current level of inequality hurts all aspects of our national life including fair justice and opportunity for people of all races.
And it doesn’t even help the 1 percent really. I can’t imagine their lives are truly better for having billions rather than millions. There is more to life. I would think that having a strong healthy country is better for their long term interests.
10
Actually, your misreading my piece. There will be no economic populism without also simultaneously fighting against intentional racial division and for cross-racial solidarity. And there will be no racial justice without also simultaneously fighting for economic populism.
6
The Democrats need to get out of defensive mode and try to unite the country behind a common sense platform. We can't have unlimited immigration; we need drug and alcohol addiction counseling for the multitude of homeless people but we also need to eliminate the option for people to camp out in public places; we need some wise limits on gun access; we need R&D on clean energy; we need politicians to care less about staying in Congress and more about doing the job they were elected to do. Identity politics is not enough to remove Trump from office. The Democrats need to offer solid plans that appeal to Americans who want work, stability, health care, and safety.
7
You write as if one can make a sharp distinction between policy and identity. That’s a mistake. We take care of those with whom we identify, and neglect or punish those with whom we disidentify or fear.
2
The Democrats need only listen to the needs of their constituents and establish a platform that will achieve it. Sometime they have not been able to achieve. It’s all about the economy and jobs. Why is it so difficult for Democrats to grasp that concept? Stop taxing me to death at the city, state, and federal level. Be realistic on immigration. You cannot have open borders. You take in 1 million people someone has to pay for their well-being for decades. Entitlements don’t take the place of employment. People want a job not s check handed to them. No elected official deserves to receive benefits better then the average American. Deal with the same grief we do then you’ll appreciate our view on healthcare. It founding fathers were not professional politicians. We need term limits to clean house at all levels of government.
7
@George Right on. I don't hear the senator candidates offering to give up their health care, in fact they would probably be exempt from any changes in the system. I agree with Biden that all federal elected officials produce ten years of tax returns before running for office. I would go one step further and suggest all current elected officials release their tax returns. This stop would probably produce a similar result to term limits.
4
The GOP has the services of the best marketers in the world to put out their propaganda. In addition, those messages are backed by billions of dollars (thank you Citizens United). The GOP propaganda machine is always dialed up high. Democrats have ignored this at their peril for far too long.
32
@Pharmer2 Think about how "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" and "Sesame Street" were able, at minimal expense,
to educate and inspire children and the parents who watched those fine educational programs. Come on, Democrats, put on your thinking caps and run some
inspiring programs.
4
This appears to be an intelligent approach. With all of the publicity about his son, however, this is a difficult platform for Joe Biden to promote.
I'm sure there are others similarly situated that haven't been in the news this month.
2
The Democrats, no less than Republicans, engage in spin based on focus groups -- they've been deep in the politics "business" longer than Republicans -- well before Lincoln.
Shouldn't honest politicians start by implementing policies that actually achieve what they claim to stand for first? And talk honestly and forthrightly?
Consider the fact that Democrats do not stop accepting big money from, say the top 10 or 20 percent in wealth. In fact, some of them are one-percenters. Wouldn't their message be a bit more believable if they put an income and wealth ceiling for their politicians?
Not to pick on Warren, but merely as an example, consider her "answer" about whether she would try to raise taxes to fund her Medicare for all, which is similar to Sander's who says his plan includes taxes on the middle class.
When a candidate takes the fifth on a crucial issue, should we trust them? Can we trust them? Or does spin that Lopez proposes overcome that? If what they propose isn't what the voters want when fully informed, shouldn't they change their view to match up with the voter before trying to take power?
3
So too the argument for reparations needs to be much more grounded in class and wealth disparity jargon. Poor is poor.
13
You miss the point: Trump is NOT a politician—thank God. He calls things as he sees them—uncouthly or not. Whether voters want status quo on steriods, or an extreme leftwing leader—full of half baked plans that have no chance of being enacted—or a sleepy, kindly, elderly man, living contentedly and warmly in the past, is gonna be the big question.
6
@Stanley Jones
On the contrary he is an excellent politician, one of the country's best. He knows how to campaign and win for his voters. He keeps his promises, mostly, and seems intent on doing what he said he'd do. He's effective at diminishing the opposition and making his positions very well known. He's constantly looking at the polls and TV to know how popular he is and responds to what he finds out. The notion that he's not a politician is just plain wrong.
1
@Stanley Jones
"Whether voters want status quo on steriods, or an extreme leftwing leader"
Typically radical reaction regressive, as if those, along with the "sleepy elderly man" are the only options.
You regressives are a dying breed because of your own limitations that make you see EVERYTHING that isn't your pre-conceived notion of something as "radical extreme left wing."
There are moderates, and they're not in the Republican party.
Don’t underestimate Trump. He carefully studied how to use racial resentment as a basis to build support among the Republican base. He learned that in his 2012 run. And in preparation for his 2015 launch, he asked close aides to carefully study the race-baiting on Fox news.
1
We’ve done a considerable amount of traveling around America the last few years. Every where we go we see small islands of multi-cultural, multi-ethnic affluence, the America that works really well for the sophisticated and well educated of all races. But these little islands are surrounded by the ocean white working class poverty and ruin we know as rural America. It is easy and lazy to dismiss many of these people as racist. They have been left behind and forgotten by America’s political class and they know it.
25
@Boris and Natasha
Or, have they let themselves down? If you can't keep yourself relevant, the bus to tomorrow isn't going to wait for you.
Left behind and forgotten is one thing. Supporting a clown, FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS, who claims to be on your side but OBVIOUS to everyone else that he isn't is entirely another.
10
They are also the pawns in trumps game and are still left behind
But at least they feel loved....
3
Last I looked this is the essence of Elizabeth Warren's message to all Americans. We are all in this together and it's the wealthy and political elite who is screwing everyone - white, black, brown and the 99%. This is why the Wall Street Dems are threatening to sit out 2020 or even support trump. Assuming for a moment that this is not simply fake news, this will only bring all people in the 99% together regardless of color, sexual orientation, national origin, region or any other fabricated division. Money can never win when real people get out and vote, and vote for people who truly care about you and your community. This excludes nearly every Republican running for office - especially at the Congressional and presidential levels. If you are among the 99% (especially the 90%) you have been getting screwed royally by the Repubs ever since Ronald Reagan. Since Ronny, there has been a massive redistribution of wealth - upwards. Education and all kinds of services have been slashed over the last 40 years and now the billionaires pay a lower tax rate than those earning under $50,000 a year (research made public last week). This is sick, and is the essence of corruption - just like donald trump.
131
@LoveCourageTruth --
So in other words, "we're all in this together" -- except for the wealthy and the political elite.
What does "wealthy" mean to you? A family making $100k a year? $200K a year? $500K a year? Do you differentiate between families that earn wages at that level and those with the same income, but coming from investments rather than wages?
What's the point of achieving the American dream of owning a home, having enough income not to worry about an unexpected expense, being able to help your kids with college or your parents with retirement -- if the "reward" you get is being asked to pay more and more and more in taxes? Does the "dream" still exist?
1
Your talking points sound like they came from right leaning talk radio. The reality is wealth disparity in this country is a problem. It’s bad for the majority of citizens. Working and earning a good living 500k a year, a million or five a year shouldn’t be disparaged.
Most major corporations pay little to no tax. I’d say a good start at tax reform would be to look at corporate tax rates and the tax rates on the boards and CEOs that run them
7
@LoveCourageTruth Hillary Clinton's campaign slogan was literally "stronger together."
It didn't do so well--it helped win the popular vote but not the Electoral College.
You can blame the messenger for some of it, but lots of people are more interested blaming the poor, the black, the brown, the different for their problems. And Trump makes people feel so good about airing their grievances: wealthy, white victims taking out their bigotry is apparently a feel good thing for some.
"stronger together" is not an easy sell.
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This is a GREAT article, and a GREAT strategy. Thank you, Mr. Lopez!
Of course, policy proposals have to fit the message. That should be no problem for the Democrats; in fact, the message is an excellent way for the Democrats to convey what they stand for. It identifies key problems, it offers solutions, it is positive, and it is noble. It fits the American promise and the American dream.
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I just can't agree with this article. People need to think more and emotion a lot less. (Yes, I used emotion as a verb)
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Republicans use emotion to foster fear. It works. What does that tell you?
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I have a question. Who will Donna Brazil be feeding pre selected questions to this time??
@newyorkerva That would be a nice world, but in the REAL world, Democrats better learn how to play to win by effectively making emotional connections to non-voters.
Only 1/3 of Americans over the age of 25 are college graduates, yet 75% of Americans identify as Christians. Obama and Bill Clinton mastered how to appeal to these Christian "values" voters in a way that John Kerry, Al Gore, and Hillary Clinton could not.
I too, wish that there would be more rational thought when voters make their electoral choices, but that's simply not the way the most people operate. Republicans know this and win elections, Democrats ignore this and keep losing.
Thank you for this article. It pleases me to see this link done with such pervasive logic. The GOP noise for all my life has kept me always on the other side. A Song by the Grateful Dead has a line "Ain't no time to hate" The gop only has hate to use to attract others. The Democrat parry has never used or needed hate to push their agenda. Both parties seem to use fear at times but the Democrats have never resorted to hate.
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Could you please define "elite"?
Because there are very few people who think of themselves as "elites." But those may be high wage-earners and, at the end of the day, people who are going to be voting against their own economic self-interest in the interest of creating a more fair society. The more you stir up an economic class war, the more you risk losing these voters.
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Agree. I wonder how many rich democratic donors would support that line of messaging.
@JM
More likely high income earners from ownership is different than wages. People who derive wealth through ownership have proven time and time again they don’t care about democracy. Winning their vote means giving them ownership of yet more things which translates into more political power and buying access to bypass voters.
Anyone who pays income taxes this message will resonate with. And this upper income group lives in fear they will be taxed more when they already pay large parts of the income while capital hides. This is the group that those with capital hide behind and punish when they pass taxes to exert force on the electorate.
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@JM
Thank you JM. I had always thought of the "elite" as well-heeled society folk who belong to private clubs and gated communities, have fancy tax schemes to shelter their money, and set themselves apart from the hoi poloi. Then I realized that "elite" now in Trumpworld means anyone who has a college degree or reads a newspaper AND doesn't subscribe to conspiracy theories. Its just another type of dog whistle term used to get people stirred up against the "other".
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As an immigrant of color, I wholeheartedly agree and had almost written in the same fashion a letter about how to address immigration policy to the Clinton campaign months prior to the general election. She went on to fall victim to the Khan family narrative trap that the media did sensationalize to our detriment.
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