The right’s wobbly electoral lifeline: How Dems can win back white working class

[DonViejo]

The way to take back Congress is not to move to the middle – but to offer pro-working-class economic progressivism

MICHAEL LIND

If the Democrats lose control of the Senate in the fall elections, the Republican party will control both Houses of Congress and a majority of state legislators. Even though President Obama was re-elected in 2012, the Republicans picked up a governorship in North Carolina and added to their majority of state legislative seats—3975 to 3319 for the Democrats.

While demography may favor the Democratic coalition in presidential elections, the Republicans have been able to mobilize enough white working class support to overcome the deficit of GOP voters among blacks and the most rapidly-growing U.S. minority group, Latinos. The Democrats have lost white working class voters not only in the racially-polarized South, but in the Northern states as well.

This means that unlike Franklin Roosevelt, who took office at another great economic crisis in American history, Barack Obama is unlikely to bequeath a new Democratic majority in Congress as well as the White House to his successors.

Ruy Texeira and Andrew Levison point out that low white working class support for Democrats might make a 2016 Republican presidential victory possible:

more
http://www.salon.com/2014/04/09/the_right%E2%80%99s_wobbly_electoral_lifeline_how_dems_can_win_back_white_working_class/

[msongs]

1. FDR ran as a democrat then he governed as a democrat. big difference nt

[Doctor_J]

9. if the president and the congress had in 2009-2010

passed a public option for healthcare and prosecuted Bush and Cheney, we would have been rid of the republicans for at least a generation. Their appeasement and timidity were an immeasurable disaster.

[beerandjesus]

2. Amazing how this sinks like a stone....

....when it actually outlines a strategy that could win Democrats DECISIVE victories, not nail-biters.

[Kingofalldems]

3. Kick and Rec for FDR Democrats

[Wounded Bear]

4. K & R...for exposure...nt

[benfranklin1776]

5. Damn right.

The true "centrist" position, i.e.where the majority of the people are at is squarely aligned with FDR's economic progressivism. That should be the theme of our party in 2014 and beyond.

[blkmusclmachine]

6. Third Way sux.

Today's K&R.

[Jamaal510]

7. I thought that

"the most rapidly-growing U.S. minority group, Latinos"

Asians were the most rapidly-growing minority group now. Maybe the author of this piece meant the largest minority group.

[AcertainLiz]

8. I come from a white working class family

and it's annoying to say the least to see my family vote for the Republicans who are the most detrimental to the working class.