2016-11-10 – Democrats are doing some soul searching. Some are discovering that they’ve abandoned the working class (here’s an example by Robert Reich). The rest are sticking to their guns: the working class are a bunch of dumbfucks!

Four years ago, Republicans did some soul searching. Some Republicans discovered that they weren’t reaching out effectively to African American and Hispanics. The rest stuck to their guns—literally.

As Democrats find their soul, will they find their way back to being the party of the working class (remember FDR)? Or will they follow the Republican path.

The Republican path is very seductive. Go extreme and win. It worked this week. Is that what we Democrats want?

I have written for years about the Democratic abandonment of the working class (here’s an example I wrote two years ago called “Expanding the Pie,” but if you want more, search my site using the search window at the lower left with the search term “working class” or “workers”). If you read my posts on the subject, you’ll figure out that I’m very much in favor of reaching out to the “other side.”

It has never made sense to me when political organizations limit their campaigns to the faithful. I get that this makes sense for the get-out-the-vote effort. But if you ever want to expand your base, you have to talk to the skeptics. You have to talk to the other side. And you have to listen.

This should be an easy thing. We on the left are nothing if we’re not for the working class. Right? That’s our roots!

But we don’t act like it. We act snooty and superior. If somebody with calloused hands expresses a contrary viewpoint, we sneer and say we know better.

We don’t. We have a point of view. They have a point of view. And, if we could get over seeing them as racist or sexist or homophobic or, god forbid, religious, we could talk about our points of view and come to and understanding—if not an agreement.

We’re also supposed to be about understanding.

I’m not saying that this will be easy. Resentments are deep—and we can only work on our own. And some Republicans (not all) are deplorable. But neither we nor they are monolithic. Everyone is different. Everyone has their own story. It is possible to talk to people in the opposing party. Sometimes it’s easier than talking to people in your own party.

We said “Stronger Together.” Next time, let’s mean it.