2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: To just write off white working class folks or ANY group ANYWHERE is STUPID. Here is why: [View all]democrank
(11,084 posts)The disconnect between some Democrats and many citizens of the economically disadvantaged working class must end. Many here protest the "elitist" label, but it's use is justified for more than a few of us.
It is untrue that all Trump supporters are ignorant racists. What is true is that many of them are just plain desperate and are willing to overlook a lot in order to have someone with power respond to their devastating economic plight.
The fact that we won the popular vote does not exempt us from criticism for all the House, Senate and governorships we've lost. We have a lot of work to do and we're going to have to gain control of something in order to do it. That means reaching more people, not the same number we have now.
I spend a lot of time talking with poor people in rural areas. Recently I had my septic tank pumped by a farmer who is about to lose his farm. He works seven days a week and must be in his 70's. This is one of a zillion stories I've heard and many of them end in a comment about there being no difference between Democrats and Republicans. I disagree with that belief, but lots of voters think otherwise. We must listen and learn from these folks rather than tell them we already know what's best for them....and we don't really need their vote anyhow.
I learned so much from what happened with the Standing Rock Sioux....the leadership, the commitment of purpose, the courage. It's a fine example of what we could accomplish, even facing incredible odds. I' m willing to bet there were many cultural and political differences among the participants at Standing Rock, but they respected one another and made something meaningful happen.
We can find common ground with SOME Trump supporters and with some folks who didn't vote. It's worth a try.