Am I Wrong to Worry About Labor's Effectiveness After Iowa?

[tishaLA]

Here in California, the unions came up small when Bustamante tried to beat the Gropernator. Now in Iowa, Dean and Gephardt, with the biggest and best labor endorsements, have faltered. Maybe we will have to wait until Michigan to guage the real meaning of labor and electoral politics, but it is worrying to me. Is this an important signal as we plan for the general election or just a quirk of Iowa and the stupid California recall?

[ewagner]

1. I'm worried about it too

I thought Gehpardt would do much better with all the tradfitional Union support he had.

Also, Dean had the support of AFSCME and didn't fare much better. I'm afraid that with the decline of manufacturing jobs in the country, the influence/importance of unions is wanning badly.

[AndyTiedye]

2. Better Count Labor Out -- They Have No Power Left

Offshoring has castrated what was left of the American labor movement.
It is dead.

[arewethereyet]

3. labor has apparantly lost its political viability

which is not good news for unions

[Cocoa]

4. yeah, this is not good

it makes you wonder if there's an incentive for someone in Congress to devote their career to labor.

[KoKo]

5. This is because there's little "labor" in the traditional sense left.....

tonight really proved it. And, yes it's very sad. Without labor organizing we've lost any incentive for workers rights, and wage improvements. That's why the media is so thrilled.

There's alot of work to be done in America. We didn't know how much we had lost until Bush tore it all open for everyone to see....or for us here to see....those of us who pay attention.

[angee_is_mad]

6. working class is irrelevant now

to the democratic party. The middle class is the new big thing now.

Even though he is not my candidate I really appreciate Edwards spotlighting the working class,the poor and minorities.

[loudnclear]

7. The Labor Movement is only alive in foreign countries...America it's dead!

Sheeple would rather hate someone else than organize to work together.

You can thank good of "Ronnie" who fought so hard for labor in Poland as he smashed the unions at home.

[John_H]

8. The unions split in Iowa--Labor still gets out more Dem votes than

the NRA and Christian Coalition get out Republican votes combined.

[auburnblu]

9. Look at Gephardt's fundraising

A lot of unions used to give big-time to candidates. But with campaign financing reform, seems like the biggest losers are candidates supported by unions. Because it seems like union members are not going to automatically donate to the candidate supported by the union.

I really thought the union was going to get the votes out though. I think the Iowa results does signal that union endorsements don't mean what they used to.