The divide within our party has been misdiagnosed.

[Garrett78]

As I've been saying for 2+ years, the white working class/economic anxiety narrative is both absurd and racist at its core.

We make a mistake when we frame the divide in the party as being over policy positions, or "far left" vs. centrist. This contributes to the dominant media narrative that says right wing extremism is normal but things like single-payer and free college are crazy ideas. Nobody loves the white working class narrative more than right wingers. It serves them quite well.

There is a divide within our party, sadly, but it's over this notion that people vote Republican due to white economic anxiety (the implication being that persons of color don't experience economic anxiety and aren't 'working class') and that Democrats put too much emphasis on 'identity politics' (ignoring the fact that economics dominated Clinton's campaign). This bullshit narrative is subscribed to by leftists (like Bernie Sanders), centrists (like Tim Ryan), right wingers and media members. I've been deeply bothered by that narrative ever since it appeared on the scene. And it's terribly sad that so many fail to see how detrimental it is.

[Cary]

1. There is no divide

There are Democrats, and then there are malcontents. The malcontemts perpetuate the fiction of a divide to get attention. This is what radicals do. Radicals are subversive. What would they do if they ever managed to win control? Could they give up being radicals?

I doubt it.

[Small-Axe]

4. If radical groups ever risked getting anywhere near being in control they would splinter...

and factionalize and wage war on one another for being insufficiently pure.

[Cary]

12. Yes, it's what thwy do

[NurseJackie]

8. You are correct. Thanks for the clear and concise analysis.

[Cary]

11. Thanks Jackie.

[Andy823]

13. Exactly

I can remember here on DU when we had the "malcontents" who started out claiming to be the only "true" Democrats, then the the only "true" liberals, then the only "true" progressives. It was always their way or the highway, and eventually they took the highway to to their own little reality on another site, I will not mention, where they proved they were "never" Democrats in the first place.

[Nictuku]

2. I think it is being egged on by outsiders

[Garrett78]

3. Sure. Just like the narrative I mentioned is promoted by right wingers.

But it's tough to argue there isn't a divide. Sadly, some Democrats are playing into right wing hands. They have been for years.

[Cary]

10. Russian trolls

[genxlib]

5. Identity politics

Is just a code phrase for paying attention to people that aren't white males.

College and health costs are two of the biggest economic anxieties in our society right now. Saying that the party isn't paying attention to economics is just right wing spin and media malpractice.

[Garrett78]

6. Yep. And many Democrats have played along. Or, rather, they've been played.

[Eric J in MN]

7. If Charles Schumer and Nancy Pelosi advocate Single Payer

...then there will be less of a case that Democrats are divided.

[Tarheel_Dem]

14. Actual "Democrats" will still be as united as ever, with or without the threats from one issue...

voters.

[Andy823]

15. +10000

nt

[pecosbob]

9. Perhaps more to the point, anytime you hear anything about a Dem in the media

be suspicious of it's spin and it's origin. For example, the phrase "The incoming speaker is getting protested by one of her freshman," was spoken by Paul Ryan, but repeated by tens of thousands of Dems in the last two days. Dems should stop repeating Republican talking points.

[crosinski]

16. It sure got repeated a lot here!

People swarmed on that like bees on honey. Either we love to court disaster, or there are an awful lot of provocateurs here.