[mydriasis]

Extra: so, so much sentiment around economic effects in this article. I don't mean to downplay them at all, but this article misses something very central that I've heard from people who have become 'fed up' with the democratic party over time is -- in summary -- that they don't want to be talked down to. It has become a habit of the left to paint a portrait of people who oppose their viewpoints as dumb, uneducated, etc., and then being shocked when they don't get votes.

The article brushes against this for a twinkling moment in its 'dignity of work' segment, but I don't see a portion where it addresses this directly. This is a huge deal. You cannot insult people and expect them to vote for you. It's like going to a bar to try and find a date with your only strategy being negging[0]. When it's part of your messaging that the opposition is opposing you simply because it's dumb, it also plants an inherent superiority complex in your supporters, which only serves to exacerbate the problem.

Again -- the economic points are important here, too. I am not downplaying them at all. This is just something that a ton of articles and sources about this problem in particular seem to miss.

I keep hearing about this, too. It's not one or two people, it's very, very many who I've seen and heard expressing this over time. It's not a problem that is getting any better -- in fact, it would appear to be getting worse.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negging

[bdangubic]

You cannot insult people and expect them to vote for you.

I wholeheartedly agree with most of what you have written - however this part is suss because the opponent of the democratic party does this same thing and during the campaign often to their face ("I would not even be here if I didn't need your votes" kind of things...). dem party has a lot of issues to work through but "the other side" is just better at politics. if a party that could not give two shits about "working class" is getting working class votes you know there is magic happening politically...

[mydriasis]

> I wholeheartedly agree with most of what you have written - however this part is suss because the opponent of the democratic party does this same thing and during the campaign often to their face ("I would not even be here if I didn't need your votes" kind of things...).

Yes! I agree. It's a problem. This is the ticket --

> "the other side" is just better at politics

combined with

> that could not give two shits about "working class

It is radically un-hard at this point. People _still_ quote 'deplorables'[0] to me, after nearly ten years. Combine that kind of attitude from the left with right-wing's ability to use rhetoric to make folks feel as though they're welcomed by the republican party in spite of democratic messaging, and you've got your magic. The left is doing half of the work for them, ironically.

We've got a penchant in the states for viewing the whole of the 'working class' as these 'right-wing, nutcase deplorables'. A gang of under- or un-educated people just waiting to be radicalized. We look down on these people and disregard their concerns ( see the article's dignity of work re: removing jobs vs creating lower prices ). When you do that, you alienate people. When the other party has a knack for alienating people, all you need to do is open the net.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basket_of_deplorables