I am curious why there is never a follow up to the woke issues answer to ask how they define woke issues. We can’t address the issue by guessing at what they mean. And I don’t think abandoning the value that marginalized people deserve a seat at the table is the answer. and that those same people who “don’t rely on government handouts” definitely are through subsidies and tax credits they aren’t accounting for. The IIJA had JOBS in the title. And the CHIPS and inflation reduction act both included jobs as well. We are allowing these working class folks to hold unchecked opinions that we are expected to bend our messaging to but not holding them accountable to know what they actually want.
I fully agree that holding “we aren’t the party of trump” as the main messaging is nonsense though.
I agree with you, Kim. The trumpers (I don’t call them Republicans anymore) long ago captured the terms of debate. We talk about everything in their terms, trying to rebut their bleak version of America, while never defining a Democratic vision for America. Somebody offers a small defense of trans people and suddenly the Dems are the party of woke ideology, whatever that means, but everybody knows it’s bad bc trumpers said it is so. We can’t, as you point out, even sell a jobs bill to the middle class and make a success of it bc it might employ an immigrant or be wasteful govt spending. Many of the comments in the article suggest that people just parrot some narrative they have been sold. White people would happily vote against their own self interest if they see that some minority person will be hurt more.
Are you intentionally misquoting me to be angry that you feel like I’m patronizing? Or is there a chance you misunderstood what I’m saying? I said “unchecked opinions” and I mean this in the context of these surveys. Having an opinion is absolutely a right. Having an opinion that is factually wrong in a context of a world where we end up with a president elected by way of misinformation is a problem. These surveys are an opportunity for dialogue and not pushing back on factually wrong opinions is a missed opportunity to understand the source of the opinion and if they are open to changing it. And if we don’t do that then we are blindly swinging messaging to people who are not capable of considering it. And quite frankly. As a woman. I had to give myself the permission to have an opinion and I choose to use that opinion to give you the benefit of the doubt in calling me patronizing instead of asking me to clarify points that feel like you are deliberately misquoting and misunderstanding.
You seem to have a very top-down approach to people, with you as the top. You are the one who determines that their opinions are factually wrong and they need to be corrected. I think your interventions with people are almost always going to be unsuccessful. I would start by seeking to understand the reason they hold an opinion before beginning to consider what to say next. People have a God given right to be wrong. Maybe once in your life you exercised that God given right to be wrong.
I literally listed that “democrats do nothing for jobs” as the example and then listed 3 jobs laws as the facts. If this is how I read to you I guess it is what it is. But you seem keen to shout me down instead of trying to engage with me honestly and I have better uses of my time. My original response starts with asking them follow ups for their opinions.
People do not get a civics education anymore and I happen to believe that helping them understand the benefits government provides that they are not accounting for as well as understanding how they arrived at the opinions while also offering factual corrections is worthwhile. People do have the right to factually wrong opinions but how does that help the collective when they use those opinions to elect someone ready to burn the entire country to the ground? We are a collective. It is our duty and responsibility to be informed.
Credit to you guys, as far as I’m aware you are the only people asking the hard questions about how to move the party back to the working class.
But I have to say - how are you going to break the addiction to oligarch money and corporate money? Unless you can do that, even genuine working class candidates are going to get stabbed in the back by the DNC in the primaries or just lawfared out before they can even get in to a primary.
The problem is, the “working class” will choose a scapegoat over any kind of real reform every time. Kick out the brown people, own the libs, whatever. The last thing they want to hear is the truth, that their plight is completely of their own making. They have been voting against their own best interests for decades. They did this to themselves. Joining the cult of MAGA is the ultimate, and perhaps final iteration of this.
Dan T.'s recommendation to follow this project went a long way in influencing this staunch centrist/ independent to review this post. Great work!! I subscribed to follow it's work. Good luck in identifying useful data to strengthen not just the Democratic message, but most importantly it's trajectory. You have to be authentic to win.
Interesting comments during the focus groups. I think there is a lot of truth in their comments. However, do they realize that the Democrats’ leadership, led to ACA, Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare, just to name a few programs that can help low and middle income (working class families)? Republicans want to cut or scale back most of these programs. The problem Democrats have had for a long time is that they suck at messaging, storytelling and connecting the dots for many different constituent groups. They speak about policy at 30,000 foot level but not in concrete examples on how those policies help everyday Americans. The best Democratic communicator is Mayor/Secretary Pete. Get him out there taking to people.
It sounds like we have to remind them who the Democrats are, and who they will be. We are the party of labor rights, the Bretton Woods system, multilateral trade, fiscal responsibility (deficit reduction), job creation, education, environmental protection, etc.
Social security was established as a safety net by a Democrat. World War II was won under Democratic leadership. The Cuban Missile Crisis was thwarted under a Democratic administration. The Great Financial Recession was overcome by a Democratic administration. And, a Democratic administration pulled us out of a devastating pandemic and returned us to economic viability, the world over. There is a rich and documented history.
The problem has been that we have let the messaging get away from us. No Dem led their platform with the social wedge issues that are reflected in your polling. It was defined for them and then drilled on every and any outlet possible.
The environment is ripe to change that narrative and go on offense. And, the people will know the difference between whether you are just pandering, or whether you have a plan (that includes them).
To make my point, Rick Wilson of Lincoln Square recently stated in an opinion piece, "The American-led postwar order, imperfect, yes, but vital, wasn’t a gift to the world. It was a gift to America, a beneficial, high-return investment for global power. It was the reason we became the wealthiest, most powerful country in human history. It was a strategic exchange. It was leverage. It was power."
Now, I follow all sorts of viewpoints, some I agree with and others I don't, but on this, common recognition exists on the leadership and benefits this brought to Americans. (Thank you FDR, Truman and Dean Acheson.) Democrats being the architects and purveyors of this mutually beneficial form of governing should be embraced and demonstrated. Our messaging should reflect that we are credentialed to usher in the next wave of technological growth, with a forward looking approach that provides prosperity and security to all Americans and future generations. Let's set up our Marshall Plan for the U.S.: our Pax Americana.
The complaint about how some Democrats act when you disagree with them is a huge problem because it’s not so much as our elected leaders, but something they (we) deal with in life.
As Democrats we need to be aware that state and local taxes are likely as or more impactful on the view of anyone who is living paycheck to paycheck and can’t take a vacation. They notice sales tax on every bill. Real estate taxes impact their rent and ability to buy afford a home.
Regarding being geriatric, I just wrote a Substack about needing age limits for our elected officials.
It was the formerly-referred- to-as-republicans who made a dirty word of "woke" based on their willful ignorance and disdain for those who did not stomp over others to get rich. It was the same ilk that that misrepresented DEI and added it to their dirty word list. Likewise foreign aid. Let's combat their disinformation.
Doing something about Fox and the other networks that do nothing but lie would get rid of the majority of our problems in this country. Another problem is the networks that whitewash everything.
Inside baseball, but - what’s your sampling methodology, how is the questioning structured? Sounds like the questions are open ended which is a good plan at this stage of the game. Too much DNC polling is closed-ended, making for circular data.
This is clearly astroturfing. The language and quotes are straight from the Trump-Republican wrecking crew. Their propaganda machine is everywhere! Beware, these are the people who want to come in after Trump- Republicans are kicked out. Same divisive tactics and corporate welfare.
Unable to reach the DNC, I have a plan and a brainstorming technique. Mitch needs this. I was a long time living in New Orleans and know he will approve. More to follow this as the platform is evolving. It has to do with people’s pocketbooks.
Thank you for your comment! Great question- a qual board is another form of qualitative research, kind of like an online discussion board. So, we go back to the same group of participants week after week with about 15 questions. So far, their answers and discussion have been super interesting. Hope that helps!
...The opinions of the people quoted/studied in this post make me angry wrt "They focus too much on niche issues and get mad at us because of Woke," because I've seen how horrible and cruel these people are to their trans and disabled kids.
Like, not in the abstract mind you, I've seen some horrible transphobic/ableist abuse in my friends' backgrounds from these people in their families, including a recent threat to have a friend declared legally incompetent if she goes on HRT; said friend basically being unable to escape due to being homeschooled; mentally ill; and stuck in an extremely isolated rural area. And like, that's only a tiny fraction of the horror stories I've heard!
And I've seen a lot of people unable to get disability care, which they so desperately need, because of the laws pushed by these cretins, and the starvation of laws that could fix our woefully inadequate system, making getting said care a sick joke because of their fear of "people who don't want to work" ignoring how, sometimes, people can't!
Like, I'd sum my views towards them up as "People like you yokels are why Leelah Alcorn died," and if the conclusion here is throwing disabled and trans people under the bus, you people will be on my shit list too.
My roots are working-class, but I'm a first-generation college graduate who almost exclusively financed my higher education on my own, including an master's degree. My working-class class roots anchor me to the Democratic party and its ideals. However, they are far too liberal on abortion. I'm a dues-paying member Democrats for Life. We're a "pro-life for the whole life" group, We oppose abortion and capital punishment, and want more, not less. immigration. My three siblings and their spouses all haver some higher education (the most being a 2-year degree from a community college) and would be described as working-class or lower-middle class. They pretty reliably split down the middle politically: 50% Democrats and 50% Reppublicans. It's wrong to stereotype all working-class or lower-middle class people w/o at least a 4-year degree as Trump supporters. Many, many are not.
I am curious why there is never a follow up to the woke issues answer to ask how they define woke issues. We can’t address the issue by guessing at what they mean. And I don’t think abandoning the value that marginalized people deserve a seat at the table is the answer. and that those same people who “don’t rely on government handouts” definitely are through subsidies and tax credits they aren’t accounting for. The IIJA had JOBS in the title. And the CHIPS and inflation reduction act both included jobs as well. We are allowing these working class folks to hold unchecked opinions that we are expected to bend our messaging to but not holding them accountable to know what they actually want.
I fully agree that holding “we aren’t the party of trump” as the main messaging is nonsense though.
I agree with you, Kim. The trumpers (I don’t call them Republicans anymore) long ago captured the terms of debate. We talk about everything in their terms, trying to rebut their bleak version of America, while never defining a Democratic vision for America. Somebody offers a small defense of trans people and suddenly the Dems are the party of woke ideology, whatever that means, but everybody knows it’s bad bc trumpers said it is so. We can’t, as you point out, even sell a jobs bill to the middle class and make a success of it bc it might employ an immigrant or be wasteful govt spending. Many of the comments in the article suggest that people just parrot some narrative they have been sold. White people would happily vote against their own self interest if they see that some minority person will be hurt more.
Thanks for your comment. We hope you keep following along to learn more as we’re listening to working class voters.
“we allow them to have opinions”
Having an opinion is an inalienable God given right. Your language is patronizing. Who has given you permission to have an opinion?
Are you intentionally misquoting me to be angry that you feel like I’m patronizing? Or is there a chance you misunderstood what I’m saying? I said “unchecked opinions” and I mean this in the context of these surveys. Having an opinion is absolutely a right. Having an opinion that is factually wrong in a context of a world where we end up with a president elected by way of misinformation is a problem. These surveys are an opportunity for dialogue and not pushing back on factually wrong opinions is a missed opportunity to understand the source of the opinion and if they are open to changing it. And if we don’t do that then we are blindly swinging messaging to people who are not capable of considering it. And quite frankly. As a woman. I had to give myself the permission to have an opinion and I choose to use that opinion to give you the benefit of the doubt in calling me patronizing instead of asking me to clarify points that feel like you are deliberately misquoting and misunderstanding.
You seem to have a very top-down approach to people, with you as the top. You are the one who determines that their opinions are factually wrong and they need to be corrected. I think your interventions with people are almost always going to be unsuccessful. I would start by seeking to understand the reason they hold an opinion before beginning to consider what to say next. People have a God given right to be wrong. Maybe once in your life you exercised that God given right to be wrong.
I literally listed that “democrats do nothing for jobs” as the example and then listed 3 jobs laws as the facts. If this is how I read to you I guess it is what it is. But you seem keen to shout me down instead of trying to engage with me honestly and I have better uses of my time. My original response starts with asking them follow ups for their opinions.
People do not get a civics education anymore and I happen to believe that helping them understand the benefits government provides that they are not accounting for as well as understanding how they arrived at the opinions while also offering factual corrections is worthwhile. People do have the right to factually wrong opinions but how does that help the collective when they use those opinions to elect someone ready to burn the entire country to the ground? We are a collective. It is our duty and responsibility to be informed.
Credit to you guys, as far as I’m aware you are the only people asking the hard questions about how to move the party back to the working class.
But I have to say - how are you going to break the addiction to oligarch money and corporate money? Unless you can do that, even genuine working class candidates are going to get stabbed in the back by the DNC in the primaries or just lawfared out before they can even get in to a primary.
The problem is, the “working class” will choose a scapegoat over any kind of real reform every time. Kick out the brown people, own the libs, whatever. The last thing they want to hear is the truth, that their plight is completely of their own making. They have been voting against their own best interests for decades. They did this to themselves. Joining the cult of MAGA is the ultimate, and perhaps final iteration of this.
Thank you for your perspective! We hope you keep following along to learn more about this project.
It's all about money
Dan T.'s recommendation to follow this project went a long way in influencing this staunch centrist/ independent to review this post. Great work!! I subscribed to follow it's work. Good luck in identifying useful data to strengthen not just the Democratic message, but most importantly it's trajectory. You have to be authentic to win.
Thanks for the comment! We agree!
Interesting comments during the focus groups. I think there is a lot of truth in their comments. However, do they realize that the Democrats’ leadership, led to ACA, Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare, just to name a few programs that can help low and middle income (working class families)? Republicans want to cut or scale back most of these programs. The problem Democrats have had for a long time is that they suck at messaging, storytelling and connecting the dots for many different constituent groups. They speak about policy at 30,000 foot level but not in concrete examples on how those policies help everyday Americans. The best Democratic communicator is Mayor/Secretary Pete. Get him out there taking to people.
Thanks for your comment. We hope you keep following along to learn more as we’re listening to working class voters to help inform future policies.
It sounds like we have to remind them who the Democrats are, and who they will be. We are the party of labor rights, the Bretton Woods system, multilateral trade, fiscal responsibility (deficit reduction), job creation, education, environmental protection, etc.
Social security was established as a safety net by a Democrat. World War II was won under Democratic leadership. The Cuban Missile Crisis was thwarted under a Democratic administration. The Great Financial Recession was overcome by a Democratic administration. And, a Democratic administration pulled us out of a devastating pandemic and returned us to economic viability, the world over. There is a rich and documented history.
The problem has been that we have let the messaging get away from us. No Dem led their platform with the social wedge issues that are reflected in your polling. It was defined for them and then drilled on every and any outlet possible.
The environment is ripe to change that narrative and go on offense. And, the people will know the difference between whether you are just pandering, or whether you have a plan (that includes them).
Thanks for your comment. We hope you keep following along to learn more as we’re listening to working class voters to help inform future policies.
To make my point, Rick Wilson of Lincoln Square recently stated in an opinion piece, "The American-led postwar order, imperfect, yes, but vital, wasn’t a gift to the world. It was a gift to America, a beneficial, high-return investment for global power. It was the reason we became the wealthiest, most powerful country in human history. It was a strategic exchange. It was leverage. It was power."
Now, I follow all sorts of viewpoints, some I agree with and others I don't, but on this, common recognition exists on the leadership and benefits this brought to Americans. (Thank you FDR, Truman and Dean Acheson.) Democrats being the architects and purveyors of this mutually beneficial form of governing should be embraced and demonstrated. Our messaging should reflect that we are credentialed to usher in the next wave of technological growth, with a forward looking approach that provides prosperity and security to all Americans and future generations. Let's set up our Marshall Plan for the U.S.: our Pax Americana.
The complaint about how some Democrats act when you disagree with them is a huge problem because it’s not so much as our elected leaders, but something they (we) deal with in life.
As Democrats we need to be aware that state and local taxes are likely as or more impactful on the view of anyone who is living paycheck to paycheck and can’t take a vacation. They notice sales tax on every bill. Real estate taxes impact their rent and ability to buy afford a home.
Regarding being geriatric, I just wrote a Substack about needing age limits for our elected officials.
It was the formerly-referred- to-as-republicans who made a dirty word of "woke" based on their willful ignorance and disdain for those who did not stomp over others to get rich. It was the same ilk that that misrepresented DEI and added it to their dirty word list. Likewise foreign aid. Let's combat their disinformation.
Thank you for your perspective! We hope you keep following along to learn more about this project.
I think the more interesting question is why they see the GOP as for them? It is almost as if these people only watch FNN.
Doing something about Fox and the other networks that do nothing but lie would get rid of the majority of our problems in this country. Another problem is the networks that whitewash everything.
Inside baseball, but - what’s your sampling methodology, how is the questioning structured? Sounds like the questions are open ended which is a good plan at this stage of the game. Too much DNC polling is closed-ended, making for circular data.
If losing your job means losing your home soon after, you are working class.
Thank you for your perspective! We hope you keep following along to learn more about this project.
I love this definition.
This is clearly astroturfing. The language and quotes are straight from the Trump-Republican wrecking crew. Their propaganda machine is everywhere! Beware, these are the people who want to come in after Trump- Republicans are kicked out. Same divisive tactics and corporate welfare.
Unable to reach the DNC, I have a plan and a brainstorming technique. Mitch needs this. I was a long time living in New Orleans and know he will approve. More to follow this as the platform is evolving. It has to do with people’s pocketbooks.
https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/i-will-call-the-dnc-today?r=3m1bs
Thank you for your perspective! We hope you keep following along to learn more about this project.
Up to date on platform items. https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/a-just-movement?r=3m1bs
Also inside baseball - what’s a “qual board” (and do you expect readers to know that)?
Thank you for your comment! Great question- a qual board is another form of qualitative research, kind of like an online discussion board. So, we go back to the same group of participants week after week with about 15 questions. So far, their answers and discussion have been super interesting. Hope that helps!
...The opinions of the people quoted/studied in this post make me angry wrt "They focus too much on niche issues and get mad at us because of Woke," because I've seen how horrible and cruel these people are to their trans and disabled kids.
Like, not in the abstract mind you, I've seen some horrible transphobic/ableist abuse in my friends' backgrounds from these people in their families, including a recent threat to have a friend declared legally incompetent if she goes on HRT; said friend basically being unable to escape due to being homeschooled; mentally ill; and stuck in an extremely isolated rural area. And like, that's only a tiny fraction of the horror stories I've heard!
And I've seen a lot of people unable to get disability care, which they so desperately need, because of the laws pushed by these cretins, and the starvation of laws that could fix our woefully inadequate system, making getting said care a sick joke because of their fear of "people who don't want to work" ignoring how, sometimes, people can't!
Like, I'd sum my views towards them up as "People like you yokels are why Leelah Alcorn died," and if the conclusion here is throwing disabled and trans people under the bus, you people will be on my shit list too.
My roots are working-class, but I'm a first-generation college graduate who almost exclusively financed my higher education on my own, including an master's degree. My working-class class roots anchor me to the Democratic party and its ideals. However, they are far too liberal on abortion. I'm a dues-paying member Democrats for Life. We're a "pro-life for the whole life" group, We oppose abortion and capital punishment, and want more, not less. immigration. My three siblings and their spouses all haver some higher education (the most being a 2-year degree from a community college) and would be described as working-class or lower-middle class. They pretty reliably split down the middle politically: 50% Democrats and 50% Reppublicans. It's wrong to stereotype all working-class or lower-middle class people w/o at least a 4-year degree as Trump supporters. Many, many are not.
Thank you for your perspective! We hope you keep following along to learn more about this project.