Democrats target union workers who regret Trump vote

[DonViejo]

Source: Reuters



MAY 4, 2018 / 7:10 AM / UPDATED 2 HOURS AGO

Tim Reid, Joseph Ax

DUBUQUE, Iowa (Reuters) - Inside Knicker’s Saloon, a factory worker hangout here, Jesse Oberbroeckling has just finished his shift at the John Deere plant when he reveals his regret.

Like many union workers, Oberbroeckling voted twice for former Democratic President Barack Obama before backing Donald Trump and other Republicans in 2016.

Now he has buyer’s remorse - and plans to support the Democratic challenger to Rod Blum, the Republican congressman in this blue-collar, eastern Iowa district. “Trump is for the rich,” said Oberbroeckling, 37, sipping a rum-and-coke. “Blum’s for big business. They said they were for the workers, but they’re not.”

That sentiment should encourage Democrats, who saw their once-reliable labor vote help send Trump to the White House after he vowed to revive Rust Belt factories with trade tariffs and ailing coal mines with environmental deregulation. Now - with coal still struggling and Trump stoking a trade war - many union workers have soured on the president ahead of November’s midterm congressional elections, the Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll shows.



Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-unions-insight/democrats-target-union-workers-who-regret-trump-vote-idUSKBN1I5181

[RKP5637]

1. IMO there are a lot like this who fell for Trump's lies! n/t

[Jedi Guy]

9. There are.

I know several people like this. The buyer's remorse is real. The ones I know have looked on in horror at what they helped create. It's difficult to avoid giving them a nice "Told ya so" but it wouldn't be productive to do so, even though it's well deserved.

[lagomorph777]

2. Dems need to sell the message that Turd & the Reputins are stealing from the middle class.

The Billionaire Tax Cut is a great place to start.

[Still In Wisconsin]

3. As a Midwesterner, I believe this is how we flip MI, OH, IA, WI, PA back into our column.

Yes, I know PA is not Midwest but same dynamic.

[keepleft101]

4. One reason Biden would be good to run

he really connects with union/labor workers.

Even if doesn't get the nomination I hope the party uses him to bring these voters back.

[Fullduplexxx]

5. Union people voting for someone who wants to end unions

What a .... there are just no words

[Upthevibe]

8. When there are no words...This.....

[Wounded Bear]

14. They've been doing is since Reagan...

[Left-over]

16. I totally agree with you. This makes absolutely no sense.

[still_one]

6. This was the same mindset where that same demographic voted for Reagan.

[tonyt53]

7. That voting bloc doesn't want, or need pandering to. Their concern is financial.

Those voters want to know more about what the Democratic Party is going to do for the middle class workers of this country. At the convention last year when the platform was presented, there were two lines on that subject matter. The rest was pandering to factions within the Democratic Party. Union workers want to hear what somebody is going to do to help ALL Americans. No special favors for them, just fair treatment. This group does provide massive financial support to the Democratic Party and individual Democratic candidates. But it sure is clear that they are getting little in return. Unions are made up of people of every race. So it isn't about just white people. I was raised on union money and have been affiliated with a union for over 40 years, so I speak with a little bit of first-hand knowledge.

[BumRushDaShow]

18. HERE is the 2016 Democratic Platform

and there were a HELLUVA LOT more than "two lines" on the subject matter of "middle class workers".

Here were the items that relate and they were at the TOP of the list -

Preamble

Raise Incomes and Restore Economic Security for the Middle Class

Raising Workers’ Wages
Protecting Workers’ Fundamental Rights
Supporting Working Families
Helping More Workers Share in Near-Record Corporate Profits
Expanding Access to Affordable Housing and Homeownership
Protecting and Expanding Social Security
Ensuring a Secure and Dignified Retirement
Revitalizing Our Nation’s Postal Service

Create Good-Paying Jobs

Building 21st Century Infrastructure
Fostering a Manufacturing Renaissance
Creating Good-Paying Clean Energy Jobs
Pursuing Our Innovation Agenda: Science, Research, Education, and Technology
Supporting America’s Small Businesses
Creating Jobs for America’s Young People

Fight for Economic Fairness and Against Inequality

Reining in Wall Street and Fixing our Financial System
Promoting Competition by Stopping Corporate Concentration
Making the Wealthy Pay Their Fair Share of Taxes
Promoting Trade That is Fair and Benefits American Workers

Bring Americans Together and Remove Barriers to Opportunities

Ending Systemic Racism
Closing the Racial Wealth Gap
Reforming our Criminal Justice System
Fixing our Broken Immigration System
Guaranteeing Civil Rights
Guaranteeing Women’s Rights
Guaranteeing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights
Guaranteeing Rights for People with Disabilities
Respecting Faith and Service
Investing in Rural America
Ending Poverty and Investing in Communities Left Behind
Building Strong Cities and Metro Areas
Promoting Arts and Culture
Honoring Indigenous Tribal Nations
Fighting for the People of Puerto Rico
Honoring the People of the Territories

<...>

https://www.democrats.org/party-platform

When you go to the site, each line in the above is also a link that gives more specific info.

The "problem" is some purported "Democrats" who buy into the RW talking points that claim that the Democratic Party isn't addressing the concerns of the worker.

[SWBTATTReg]

21. Thanks for posting...nt

[KPN]

27. The problem is platforms are not nifty

sound bytes typically. They don't resonate on their own; most voters don't read or hear them; many voters see a disconnect between platforms and results and attribute that to inconsistency. For a variety of reasons, platforms don't translate uniformly into interest-based votes.

We have to do a better job messaging. We need candidates who do this better or we need them (candidates) to do this better, however one chooses to look at it.

[BumRushDaShow]

28. "We" have to buy some media

because when you don't own and control the megaphone, then your "message" can be the best thing since sliced bread but it will never be heard over the loud droning of the other side who DOES own and control that megaphone, and they go 24/7 over thousands of stations.

This is why the "grassroots" efforts of literal door-to-door and town halls/rallies seem to be the best way given we refuse to buy and control media access that stretches across much of the country.

Any "disconnect" due to "results" (or lack thereof) comes from a lack of civics understanding about how the government works. The populace wants a dictatorship-type government to enact the things that they want but that's not how this nation is setup. And to encourage that type of thinking without providing realistic caveats, takes us down the slippery slope that we are actually going through right now.

[beachbum bob]

10. tariffs, the trade wars that are coming and trumnps inability to tell the truth should

spur more union people to leave the sinking trump ship. Throw in some farmers who are growing disconnected too

[Coventina]

11. I do not have any sympathy for these people. None.

Trump made it perfectly clear that he was a racist, lying, cheating (as in not paying his workers), misogynist.
And that's not even getting into his clear hatred of the Constitution and the rule of law, when he made PERFECTLY CLEAR in the campaign.

Anyone who had half a brain knew this about him.

Anyone who voted for him is not someone I want to associate with.

Not now, not ever.

[KPN]

17. Sympathy aside, do you want them to vote Democrat as opposed to R?

[Coventina]

22. I do not care how they vote. I think we need to recruit the non-voters.

People who are OK with racism, misogyny, cheating, lying, etc. etc. are not representative of the Democratic Party.

[Dopers_Greed]

12. If only Dems would have targeted them in 2016...

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

13. Most people working today have no memory of grandfathers' struggles ...

... to organize, unionize, fight the union busting company-hired thugs.

Now, union members usually get a decent wage, decent benefits, but don't relate those benefits to the early unionization efforts. All they see is a payroll deduction on the check stub, and an occasional headline about some corrupt union executive.

Solidarity forever.

[BumRushDaShow]

19. That basically sums it up.

Although hopefully some of them are paying attention now to the teachers in WV & AZ and some other states who have been making their voices heard.

Here in Philly, which is a big time union city, we have had some pretty bad corruption cases and it just breaks my heart because folks need to understand that without the power of a large "group" (union) behind you, you are both voiceless and powerless.

[kimbutgar]

15. My hubby works for a major airline carrier with Twitler supporters who earn union negotiated wages

The majority of them are brain washed Twitler supporters who listen to rush, levin, savage and Hannity on their long commutes home to and from the suburbs, even though they benefit from union membership they would die before voting for a Democrat. One of them told my hubby liberals should be shot. The neural brain washing is more of a problem with these people and our country.

[appalachiablue]

23. That's quite interesting because in recent OPs by those who think

there's a need to try to counter ultraconservative media- hate radio and Fox, many commenters say that's not necessary since it's only for gullible morons and we're readers, radio is dying, we have SNL and comedy news a la John Oliver, there are some progressive radio hosts (though most are local, not national or only on Sirius FM) etc. I still think the dominance of that media has huge influence and definite political outcomes.

[kimbutgar]

24. That documentary the brainwashing of my father is case in point

Her Dad was a liberal and voted Democratic then he got a job where he had a long commute and started listening to rush and the other right wing media industrial complex propagandists then became a fox addict and he then became a raging right winger. It was shocking to her. I won’t give away how the documentary ends but it is a definite example of right wing brainwashing. I find those who commute the longest and listen to talk radio become right wingers over time. I myself had some co workers during the bush years who changed from being nice common people to attacking liberals. It was shocking for me to see the transformation.

[appalachiablue]

25. The documentary film by Jen Senko 'The Brainwashing of My Dad' is

a real eye opener! She did a great job of effectively portraying her elderly father's descent into the toxic world of RW hate, and his return to sensible political views after the Fox type material was removed and replaced by alternative media and her encouragement. I've seen Jen discuss the making of the film in interviews, her love of her father is poignant and evident like her ability to point out the fallacy and harm of infotainment/propaganda passing as 'news' on the hard right.

The main difficulty is how to reach the very people who should see this kind of film, the many Americans steeped in lies and bias after 30 years and emboldened by the new administration. RW Hate radio is almost a monopoly now and Fox is free, everywhere and the only station in some communities. It's similar to blind adherence to a religion! How to inform the thousands who lack, or shun following any real news with journalistic standards of factual and truthful reporting, minus highly emotional, divisive and sensational poison.
But since I seem to be in the minority about the need to counter this 'movement' through an alternative, accessible media on a national level, and in all formats- broadcast, print and internet, I won't be holding my breath waiting for it to happen!

[Gothmog]

20. This is a good idea

[beachbum bob]

26. If you are a union member or a member of a union family and

Vote for a republican, you deserve what republican policies will bring you....

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

29. DEFENDING 100 yrs of progressivism/new deal/workers+ womens rights + voting + civil rights OUGHT TO

BE a no brainer. hOW has it been so easy for the far rw to demonize this....?