Why are Democrats constantly lectured to do a better job "messaging" to white rural voters

[Tom Rinaldo]

31. You are more than welcome, I appreciate your asking the questions

Our areas of total agreement here are expansive. I in particular really appreciate your pointed framing of the problems that emerge once we dive deeper than a cosmetic surface agreement:

"People will say, "Of COURSE we need to reach out to black voters but we also need to reach out to rural white voters - it's not an either/or proposition." But then as we move along, we start hearing about how the outreach to black voters is scaring off white voters, so we need to tone it down, change the language to be less offensive, not sound like we're playing "identity politics," stop making white people feel like they're being racist, etc. On the other hand, there is never any concern about how the messaging and outreach to white voters might be heard and interpreted by black people and that it may be offensive to us. It happens every time."

AND

"I'm just tired of black voters always being told to sit in the back of the bus and not make too much noise because we need to make room for white people who don't want to ride the bus precisely because there are too many of us on it."

Other things we agree on is that far too many White voters are, as you say, "unreliable, fickle and disloyal." One thing that I do feel clear on is the unambiguous need for our Party to ALWAYS lean hard into the morally correct position. We can not repudiate what is right for the sake of courting votes. So if that means White voters getting potentially scared away by the truth being actually spoken, so be it. It isn't easy, but I do think it is possible to reach some rural white voters with a message framed to break through to them that need not be in any way offensive to Black voters.

Many decades ago I was deeply inspired reading about the work of some late 19th century and early 20th century Union organizers who helped forge strong solidarity among workers of different racial and ethnic groups, who often harbored deep prejudices against each other prior to joining forces for common economic goals. It doesn't work with everyone, but it can work with some, and that can spell the difference between winning and losing.

I think my bottom line is that no appeal can be made to any constituency, in this case rural White voters, that in any way obscures or deflects from what must always be an iron clad commitment to the fundamental human and civil rights and dignity of all racial groups and minorities in our nation. That is the guiding golden rule. If that rule is not compromised though, targeted outreach can still make sense, even to rural whites on non racial grounds. Again, our Constitution locks in too much power granted relatively rural white States, to not factor that into the equation for Democrats holding power at the national level. A Senate Seat from Maine or Kansas carries the same political power as one from Georgia or Michigan.