[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