Progressive Analysis of the 2016 election - White Working Class Voters

[Raeph]

http://prospect.org/article/mapping-white-working-class

Very interesting article was released yesterday. A progressive research firm did focus groups with White Working Class voters to see where the progressive message had failed to reach them.

Their research is spelled out in the article but boils down to:

The fundamental problem is that white working-class voters do not perceive progressives (or Democrats) to better represent their economic concerns. Polling showed that voters overall divided fairly evenly on whether Donald Trump (46 percent) or Hillary Clinton (42 percent) would do a better job of dealing with the economy, yet Trump enjoyed a 27-point advantage (57 percent to 30 percent) on this question among non-college whites, and an enormous 42-point advantage among non-college white men. This result cannot be explained by Trump’s intermittent economic populism. In 2015, by 73 percent to 27 percent, white working-class voters said that the federal government, far from helping them, had made it harder for them to achieve their goals, and by a 4-to-1 ratio said that the federal government’s economic impact was negative.

TLDR - points from the rest of the article:

1. White Working Class is broken up into three categories: 50% identify as conservatives, small group of liberals and 35% are political moderates. These moderates make up 15% of the overall electorate or about 23 million registered voters.

2. Romney and Trump won these WWCM's (White Working-Class Moderate per the article). Clinton lost them by 26%, which is twice the amount that Obama lost them in 2012.

3. These WWCM's are not driven by ideology but by economics and they don't feel that a progressive economic agenda will work for them because progressive economic plans rely heavily on government intervention/investment. 4-1 WWCM's see government as a negative force in the economy rater than a benefit.

4. WWCM's feel that Democrats cater to poor and special interests and Republicans cater to large business. Regardless of the party in power they feel they will be neglected as the forgotten middle.

5. Though WWCM's don't like the intervention that the government has done in the past they aren't small-government conservatives, rather they want government to function better and solve their real world problems.

6. WWCM's are open to tax increases, higher government spending and government investment/intervention in the real world economy, however they have no confidence that Democrats (or anyone else) can make government work well for them and their needs.

7. WWCM's feel that as skilled laborers they are undervalued or dismissed in the economy by political elites and that the education system is a failure for anyone who doesn't choose to seek a out a four year college degree.

8. No magic bullet was found to work with the focus group to turn them towards progressive causes, though there were interests in progressive economic ideals using government investments that lead to overall better results for the WWCM and not to just benefit the political career's of politicians.

I can say myself, though I do not fall into this slice of the electorate, my main issue with progressives is this issue: their main response to any problem is "We will create a government program to fix that issue." If you ask them to clarify how or confront them about past failures of government policy in that particular area then you are branded with hateful rhetoric and labels.

There are things I would like the government to do well, because I think that it has the resources and capability for oversight that the private sector doesn't have, in certain areas. However I would like to be assured that tax money is spent reasonably and responsibly, for the good of all, rather than just receiving a pat on the head a some bland platitude of "Don't worry we'll have the experts take care of it for you."

[Theodarzna]

http://prospect.org/article/mapping-white-working-class

Very interesting article was released yesterday. A progressive research firm did focus groups with White Working Class voters to see where the progressive message had failed to reach them.

Their research is spelled out in the article but boils down to:



TLDR - points from the rest of the article:

1. White Working Class is broken up into three categories: 50% identify as conservatives, small group of liberals and 35% are political moderates. These moderates make up 15% of the overall electorate or about 23 million registered voters.

2. Romney and Trump won these WWCM's (White Working-Class Moderate per the article). Clinton lost them by 26%, which is twice the amount that Obama lost them in 2012.

3. These WWCM's are not driven by ideology but by economics and they don't feel that a progressive economic agenda will work for them because progressive economic plans rely heavily on government intervention/investment. 4-1 WWCM's see government as a negative force in the economy rater than a benefit.

4. WWCM's feel that Democrats cater to poor and special interests and Republicans cater to large business. Regardless of the party in power they feel they will be neglected as the forgotten middle.

5. Though WWCM's don't like the intervention that the government has done in the past they aren't small-government conservatives, rather they want government to function better and solve their real world problems.

6. WWCM's are open to tax increases, higher government spending and government investment/intervention in the real world economy, however they have no confidence that Democrats (or anyone else) can make government work well for them and their needs.

7. WWCM's feel that as skilled laborers they are undervalued or dismissed in the economy by political elites and that the education system is a failure for anyone who doesn't choose to seek a out a four year college degree.

8. No magic bullet was found to work with the focus group to turn them towards progressive causes, though there were interests in progressive economic ideals using government investments that lead to overall better results for the WWCM and not to just benefit the political career's of politicians.

I can say myself, though I do not fall into this slice of the electorate, my main issue with progressives is this issue: their main response to any problem is "We will create a government program to fix that issue." If you ask them to clarify how or confront them about past failures of government policy in that particular area then you are branded with hateful rhetoric and labels.

There are things I would like the government to do well, because I think that it has the resources and capability for oversight that the private sector doesn't have, in certain areas. However I would like to be assured that tax money is spent reasonably and responsibly, for the good of all, rather than just receiving a pat on the head a some bland platitude of "Don't worry we'll have the experts take care of it for you."

Obvs' they are all racist sexist demons from the misogyny dimension!

But on a serious note, the lack of a magic bullet is probably why the Dems' don't know what to do. There is nothing they can easily just say to rally that group.

[THE Bigzoman]

Don't worry guys. They'll die out soon enough and we won't have to listen to their boo hooing.

[Wells]

Obvs' they are all racist sexist demons from the misogyny dimension!

But on a serious note, the lack of a magic bullet is probably why the Dems' don't know what to do. There is nothing they can easily just say to rally that group.

Not even sure what you're trying to say here, that the Democrats are bad at marketing? That they favor "simple answers"?

[lockedout]

White male privilege obviously.

[NED funded]

I've been trying to understand the white working class for quite a while. I've come to the conclusion that they are people of tradition rather than of economy. They care about the economy in the place they live, but refuse to move to other places with better opportunities bc of heritage or they've become too risk adverse

[NED funded]

As for the goverment part, I feel that they should be informed of how certain programs work and it's consequences. This should be a thing in general.

[Torto]

I think the US finally woke up and realised that the progressive left actually despise the middle class. We are slowly coming to that conclusion here in Australia. It seems most of Europe is still blissfully ignorant tho.

[Wells]

I think the US finally woke up and realised that the progressive left actually despise the middle class. We are slowly coming to that conclusion here in Australia. It seems most of Europe is still blissfully ignorant tho.

There's no real polling data to suggest that Trump did better with the working and middle class as a whole.

[Theodarzna]

Don't worry guys. They'll die out soon enough and we won't have to listen to their boo hooing.

Liberals need only wait like about half a century or more until that might be a possibility. Rejoice?!

[THE Bigzoman]

Liberals need only wait like about half a century or more until that might be a possibility. Rejoice?!

I remember 2016's meme war. I do.

The sounds of the battles still haunt me to this day. Banhammer fire from enemy lines; The sickening sound of cold hard truth tearing through liberal lies. My Legionnaires next to me shitposting in desperation, knowing full and well of the losing battle they they signed up to die in, but weren't ready to.

Some nights were better than others, but the dreams pushed us onward.


The dreams of eternal SJW salt pushing us ever so onward as our we faced flaming from the enemy, enemy defectors, and loved ones. More often than not, I had to take out friends I knew since first meeting them in Kotaku in Action boot camp.

All these memories echo in my mind as if conducted by Kek himself. it all comes together as music; A triggering symphony of freedom; a freedom that we thought would never come.

But we were wrong. So wrong.

[Taneras]

Romney and Trump won these WWCM's (White Working-Class Moderate per the article). Clinton lost them by 26%, which is twice the amount that Obama lost them in 2012.

This is an interesting point. So the deplorable racists voted more for Obama than Clinton?

Identity politics is a distraction, most people aren't as bigoted as was suggested by progressives during this election cycle. This needs to be dropped so the actual issues can be addressed.

[Wells]

This is an interesting point. So the deplorable racists voted more for Obama than Clinton?

Identity politics is a distraction, most people aren't as bigoted as was suggested by progressives during this election cycle. This needs to be dropped so the actual issues can be addressed.

As a counter point, Democrats did well in North Carolina, leaning heavily on identity politics. The term "identity politics" really only gets applied to Democrats talking about minorities though. Trump employed such tactics towards currying favor among the white working class.

[Wyrt]

I think the US finally woke up and realised that the progressive left actually despise the middle class. We are slowly coming to that conclusion here in Australia. It seems most of Europe is still blissfully ignorant tho.

You should get rid of your socialized healthcare, that'll help your middle class so much.

[Tijuana]

http://prospect.org/article/mapping-white-working-class

Very interesting article was released yesterday. A progressive research firm did focus groups with White Working Class voters to see where the progressive message had failed to reach them.

Their research is spelled out in the article but boils down to:



TLDR - points from the rest of the article:

1. White Working Class is broken up into three categories: 50% identify as conservatives, small group of liberals and 35% are political moderates. These moderates make up 15% of the overall electorate or about 23 million registered voters.

2. Romney and Trump won these WWCM's (White Working-Class Moderate per the article). Clinton lost them by 26%, which is twice the amount that Obama lost them in 2012.

3. These WWCM's are not driven by ideology but by economics and they don't feel that a progressive economic agenda will work for them because progressive economic plans rely heavily on government intervention/investment. 4-1 WWCM's see government as a negative force in the economy rater than a benefit.

4. WWCM's feel that Democrats cater to poor and special interests and Republicans cater to large business. Regardless of the party in power they feel they will be neglected as the forgotten middle.

5. Though WWCM's don't like the intervention that the government has done in the past they aren't small-government conservatives, rather they want government to function better and solve their real world problems.

6. WWCM's are open to tax increases, higher government spending and government investment/intervention in the real world economy, however they have no confidence that Democrats (or anyone else) can make government work well for them and their needs.

7. WWCM's feel that as skilled laborers they are undervalued or dismissed in the economy by political elites and that the education system is a failure for anyone who doesn't choose to seek a out a four year college degree.

8. No magic bullet was found to work with the focus group to turn them towards progressive causes, though there were interests in progressive economic ideals using government investments that lead to overall better results for the WWCM and not to just benefit the political career's of politicians.

I can say myself, though I do not fall into this slice of the electorate, my main issue with progressives is this issue: their main response to any problem is "We will create a government program to fix that issue." If you ask them to clarify how or confront them about past failures of government policy in that particular area then you are branded with hateful rhetoric and labels.

There are things I would like the government to do well, because I think that it has the resources and capability for oversight that the private sector doesn't have, in certain areas. However I would like to be assured that tax money is spent reasonably and responsibly, for the good of all, rather than just receiving a pat on the head a some bland platitude of "Don't worry we'll have the experts take care of it for you."

Clearly, they are much smarter than Democrats give them credit for. Heck, reading this, they sound like they are quite a bit smarter than Democrat leaders.

[Wells]

Clearly, they are much smarter than Democrats give them credit for. Heck, reading this, they sound like they are quite a bit smarter than Democrat leaders.

Not sure where people are getting this meme from

[Tijuana]

I've been trying to understand the white working class for quite a while. I've come to the conclusion that they are people of tradition rather than of economy. They care about the economy in the place they live, but refuse to move to other places with better opportunities bc of heritage or they've become too risk adverse

Expecting everyone to move where the jobs are is a very liberal view. Most people would rather stay close to their families, and do the best they can there. Telling them you have zero solutions for unemployment where they actually live is not a good thing to run on. Kids running for student council even understand you have to have a message and a mission.

- - - Updated - - -

Not sure where people are getting this meme from

Meme? I'm commenting on the original post. Do you not know what meme means or something? Do you ever make an even remotely clear point? Is that why you have so many posts; from having to clarify so much of what you say?

[Wells]

E
Meme? I'm commenting on the original post. Do you not know what meme means or something? Do you ever make an even remotely clear point? Is that why you have so many posts; from having to clarify so much of what you say?

Again, not sure where this "democrats think the WWC are stupid" noise comes from. Seems like just another claim that assumed true.

[Tijuana]

Again, not sure where this "democrats think the WWC are stupid" noise comes from. Seems like just another claim that assumed true.

Oh, well it's the constant talking down to them, as if they were less informed than the person talking.

[Wells]

Oh, well it's the constant talking down to them, as if they were less informed than the person talking.

Yeah, this reeks of just seeing what you want to see.

- - - Updated - - -

But I mean if you think "Democrats talking down to the WWC" means they think they're stupid then what must you think of Trump running on nonsense like "bringing back the coal industry"?