Improving the Democratic Message

It's no secret-I'm a Sandernista turned Hillary fan and a lifelong Democrat. Hell, I was a sad six-year old when John Kerry barely lost to George W. Bush in 2004.  Politics is my life, and one of my specific focuses is how Democrats can rebuild our party's infrastructure, platform, and rhetoric to win elections. Over my time working in, researching, and pondering politics, I have developed a general, personal, subjective sense of the direction Democrats, and liberals as a whole, should take.

The failings of today's liberalism are evident. The GOP has eviscerated downballot Democrats across the country. The party that historically dominated all across the US now controls a strikingly low amount of state level seats. Make no mistake, gerrymandering, corporate money, and GOP strategy have all precipitated the struggles of downballot Democrats. However, I firmly believe that a series of rhetorical and ideological blunders have damaged the party. Something needs to change. Following is a set of suggestions I would love to see define a new Democratic message. My ideas are far from foolproof, objective, or even uncontroversial. They simply represent a change of course I would like to see Democrats embark upon.

Recognition of Regional Difference
Too often, liberals assume that certain policies objectively benefit all Americans. One such example if the idea of a $15 federal minimum wage. On principle, I would love to see everybody earning a living wage. However, endorsing these types of ideas on the federal level ignores local realities. Such a high wage would, for example, destroy small businesses and register a disproportionately negative impact on rural communities that are already struggling. The state of Oregon's minimum wage plan, which sets minimum wages based on location, takes into account these discrepancies in economic status and cost of living. Another example of problematic liberal zeal is how Democrats package EPA regulation. There's no question that environmental health and society's safety are priorities. However, too often some Democrats act like their regulations should be above reproach. It's really easy for Democrats in New York City to scorn farmers who complain about the EPA's excessive bureaucracy and regulation. The New York City economy doesn't rely on farming; many of these limousine liberals have never set foot in a farming community. A better strategy than arrogantly shouting over relevant concerns could include consulting farmers and leaving more space for downballot candidates. Many of us in rural states disagree with the party's emphasis on more farming rules 24/7. It's time that our party respects that and doesn't hold all of its candidates to policies drafted far away from many downballot races. Democrats must focus on policies that are well-researched and presented with a reasonable degree of local flexibility. This makes ideas easier to market and more effective when implemented.

50 States
This one doesn't take much explaining. Democrats need to invest resources, both tangible and intangible, into all states, no matter how conservative. 2006 and 2008 should have proved that upsets can come from the unlikeliest of places. Bolstering parties in every corner of the US will help us win back state houses, congressional seats, and more.

Bread, Butter, and the Blue Collar
Over the past 25 years or so, Democrats have capitulated to corporate interests. I've discussed this before. Bill Clinton attacked the poor with welfare 'reform', signed NAFTA, and deregulated banking. These are not the issues that Democrats are supposed to own. No matter what you think of Andrew Jackson, the first Democratic president, he pioneered the idea that Democrats should look to the common man. Our definition of the common American (thankfully) has become much more inclusive, but sadly Democrats are giving up their historical focus on working America. Too often, we write off working class voters entirely. In pursuit of the creative class, Wall Street donors, and the Tumblr crowd, Democrats forgot the working people that were such a great part of their New Deal coalition. Thomas Frank understands this-I highly recommend his book Listen, Liberal for an in depth focus on Democratic base betrayal. Bernie Sanders momentarily brought the focus back to working America. He talked about expanding unions, fair trade, and combating poverty. These are the issues that Democrats need to talk about. We need to take up figurative arms and fight for legislation that directly benefits the working class. From expanding the EITC to passing the Employee Free Choice Act, the left must once again speak to the issues of blue collar voters. Additionally, Democrats need to stop dismissing places like West Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana as "backwoods" and instead work on outreach efforts in struggling communities. To do this, they must acknowledge the economic and social breakdowns occurring in poor White towns. Between collapsing families, opiod addiction, the death of the coal industry, and lack of opportunity, rural blue collar populations face steep odds in life. Donald Trump has spoken to the insecurity of this group while Democrats have sat back and labelled the White working class as "deplorable". That's not how to win. We need to ditch the arrogance ASAP and start a substantive dialogue with blue collar communities.

Realism, not Utopia
One of the major problems I have with the American left is that too often, it deals in the rhetoric of utopia. Government will never create the perfect society. I, as many others, realize that government has a role to play in building a better society. However, realizing the limitations of policy is critical. At the end of the day, human nature prevents the formation of a utopia. While Democrats must emphasize the government's role in providing opportunity and building stronger communities, they must also be cautious to avoid utopian rhetoric which may repel some voters more concerned with realistic policymaking. Too often, bold promises are broken, which fuels the anger this cycle has levied at the political class. Leave the pipe-dreams to the Green Party.

Promoting the Family
The family is the central unit of society. It is the bedrock with allows people to seek self-actualization. Family provides security, spiritual nourishment, and socialization. Republicans constantly claim the mantle of being the 'pro-family' party. They lament the collapse of American families by citing issues like abortion and LGBT rights, but Democratic responses to these claims are few and far between. Democrats have an unused arsenal at their disposal. Take for example Paul Ryan's budget plan, dissected here by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. Ryan's budget proposals systematically target families and receive widespread Republican support. They cut Pell Grants, Medicaid, SNAP, and more. Democrats need to make something clear. Undermining the social safety net is not pro-family. Millions of Americans work hard to put food on the table. Taking away the benefits that help sustain children, prevent bankruptcy, and provide opportunity destroys families. Economic stressors often cause issues like divorces, drug abuse, and household tension. The decay of American families can be traced directly back to the sorts of policies Republicans advocate. Instead of letting Republicans get away with calling themselves 'pro-family', Democrats need to attack the GOP's record on family policies while emphasizing their own strengths in this area. Democrats support paid leave policies, which allow parents to spend time with their newborns. This is no radical idea-most developed nations have already implemented some form of family leave.

Knowing Our Opponents
In politics, as with any competition, it's important to know one's opponent. Chasing one's own tail looking for solutions to problems doesn't accomplish anything. We Democrats seriously need to grasp this and work on researching Republicans. The GOP has strategically played us. They've mastered the art of rhetoric, blending corporatist policies with red meat social issues painted as black and white. Republican thinkers and leaders brought together business interests, economic libertarians, and social conservative populists to forge a winning coalition. GOP rhetoric on issues like immigration has especially maximized appeal to social conservatives and the Tea Party's disaffected voters. While Trump calls into question the long term validity of fusionism, Democrats need to understand the importance of coalition building through rhetoric. We must master the word game to define the terms of debate. Whoever controls the terms of debate can skew public opinion, build support, and maximize their own political potential. Doing any of this fundamentally depends on knowing the GOP. Liberals need to start reading The National Review, The Weekly Standard, and The American Conservative to get an idea of how various factions of conservatives think. Knowing how the GOP frames issues will help Democrats gain the upper hand in the long run. Moreover, Democrats should read books like Why the Right Went Wrong to understand the ebbs and flows of conservatism's various strains. Tailoring a winning strategy depends on extensive knowledge of the opponent.

Growing a Skin
The Tumblr left is a threat to Democrats everywhere. We have become too associated with the overzealous PC culture on display at colleges like Oberlin, where students threw a tantrum about food being "cultural appropriation". There are relevant concerns of prejudice on and off campus, but the more we excuse and embrace the extremist elements who want to coddle our youth, the bigger of a hole we dig for ourselves. I maintain that Trump's strength exists in part because of how out of control the Tumblr left's culture has gotten. Sure, exclusionary safe spaces, absurd use of trigger warnings, and actual prejudice coated in leftist self righteous (BDS) might seem okay if you live in a campus bubble. However, allowing this extremism to taint mainstream Democratic politics irreparably damages the party's image among moderates, disaffected independents, and those who recognize the problems with campus extremism. The extreme left's thought police mentality is not much better than the alt-right's crypto-fascism. They have a lot in common, come to think of it. Both the alt-right and the Tumblr left promote antisemitism. Both believe in shutting down and excluding anybody they disagree with. Both have a self-righteous, often hypocritical worldview. Democrats need to work for social justice without falling into the trap of Tumblrism and becoming annoying PC freaks. The more Democrats embrace radical social leftism, the more voters they turn off from their economic message. A winning strategy will not be led by safe space extremists.

Community Based Turnout
Directly connected to the last point is the idea that Democrats need to build stronger inroads into the community to create a more effective turnout machine. Republicans use churches as a way to connect their message to voters. While on an official level, churches cannot be explicitly political, the ties between Evangelical mega-churches and Republicans are clear. When election season rolls around, GOP candidates often attend church picnics or address church groups. Some even go so far as to provide voting guides that rate each candidate on the issues. Combined with the aforementioned red meat rhetoric, this ensures high turnout. In 2014, for example, Republican results were boosted by strong turnout among Evangelical Christians, leading to high profile victories. Democrats need to build networks through churches and other organizations with mostly Democratic populations, especially in Hispanic and Black communities. This would boost voter registration and turnout efforts among POC, which can make a serious difference in swing states. Moreover, the more in touch Democrats are with their base constituencies, the more open-minded, diverse, and strong their party will be. Working through community groups, even beyond religious groups, grows the party's presence and can help bring new candidates or new issues into the spotlight.

Becoming the Party of Values
In my opinion, this year's DNC yielded some of the most powerful political moments in recent history. From Khizir Khan's pocket constitution to the "USA" chants during General Joe Allen's speech, Democrats at the DNC embraced patriotism. However, in the past few weeks and downballot in many places, I haven't seen the same embrace of patriotism I saw at the DNC. As Trump-Putin links emerged, Hillary was far too silent on the issue when she should have been painting Trump as the candidate looking to sell America out for a quick buck. Democrats need to hammer Trump on the fact that he hired undocumented workers instead of Americans. What a hypocrite! Why aren't we attacking the sellout!? Painting the GOP in an unpatriotic light will help us defeat Trump and combat the constant and false allegations that Democrats are less patriotic. This pathetic myth developed from the tendency of some Democrats to oppose war. From George McGovern to John Kerry (two war heroes!!), even moderately anti-war Democrats were painted as unpatriotic wusses; they didn't do enough to demolish these allegations. We need to convey strength, respect military culture, and embrace candidates who served. Almost nothing makes me as proud as seeing Democratic veterans. We are the party of a responsible foreign policy. We are the party of the GI Bill. We are the party whose presidents won World War I and World War II. Democrats need to stand up and be proud of their patriotic background. Of course there are countless areas in which our nation needs to improve. On a personal level, because I so deeply love America, I want to see her overcome her systemic issues. We must frame our politics in the rhetoric of a love for country, community, and character. By being seen as the strong American party and bashing Trump as an unpatriotic coward, Democrats can start winning again.

In my opinion, this is part of what Democrats need to do in order to start winning again. It's time to establish a new coalition and defeat the Republicans on all levels, in all states. I want nothing more than to see Democrats win. If you have any alternative suggestions, questions, or comments, feel free.

Happy Labor Day

It's that time of year again. Labor Day-the symbolic end to summer. Pools close, summer hours end, and the kids starting getting back into their school routines. This weekend, everybody pulls out their barbecues, heads to the lake, and spends some great time with family and friends. There seems to be a general, vague recollection of what this holiday means, but too many people forget the true meaning (and importance) of Labor Day. Today's holiday originated in the late 1800's with local and state legislation to recognize the importance of American workers. In the late 1800's, also known as the Gilded Age, unrestricted monopolists ran roughshod over the rights of consumers and communities. This in turn led to a backlash in the form of populism and progressivism. These dual manifestations of support for greater economic fairness fed support for a growing labor movement, spearheaded by charismatic leaders. 

Today, however, the situation is different. American unions are in decline. Only about 12% of wage and salary workers today are unionized, compared to a peak of nearly 35% in the 1950's (when Republicans weren't anti-worker!). Even in historical bastions of unionization, the decline has been felt. Kentucky's last union coal mine closed last year, bringing an end to the era of unionization that defined Appalachia's coal industry. The overall decline of unions can be attributed to a few different causes. First, there has been a certain complacency in today's society. Some falsely assume that because labor unions have scored so many wins, their work is over. This mentality is especially damaging, as it fails to recognize the importance of continuous progress. Especially with the expansion of 'free' trade policies, globalization, and mechanization, it's more important than ever that workers organize. Another central reason for the decline of American labor comes in the form of legislative attacks on collective bargaining. States like Wisconsin have enacted 'Right to Work' laws, at the demand of right wing extremists funded by large corporations. These laws allow workers to mooch off the benefits of labor unions without having to pay a dime of dues. While right wingers spin this as productive for workers, their claims could not be farther from the truth. By limiting the amount of dues money flowing into unions, their political and social power is diminished. RTW effectively dismantles trade unions from the inside, destroying their ability to fight for workers. The impacts of RTW are vast. When this law is isolated as a factor, those in RTW states make 12% less every year than their colleagues in non-RTW states. Uninsured rates and poverty rates tend to be higher where these asinine laws have been enacted. There is even a direct impact in the workplace, with workplace death rates being over 50% higher in RTW states. While this law is perhaps the most egregious, other legislative attacks have decimated labor unions. The marked decline of collective bargaining in America is indicative of a worrying trend towards forgetting how critical unions have been and are to our way of life. In fact, studies find that the decline of labor has suppressed wages across the board. If unions were as strong as they were in the 1970's (not even their peak!), the average male worker would earn 5% more than he does today. Non-union workers without high school and a college degree would be earning 9% and 8% higher wages respectively. This study displays the importance of unionization, even today. As unions decline, America declines. Unionization is a major part of what makes America great.

Thus, every day, and especially today, we must remember the historical fights waged by American labor.

Never forget Samuel Gompers' fight to expand and consolidate unions. 

Unionization spread across various industries in the early 1900's, despite various degrees of legal and corporate opposition. Central to the struggles of early unions was their lack of centralization. Different trades were all represented by different groups. Samuel Gompers brought together these various unions under the American Federation of Labor, harnessing the immense power of collective bargaining. His contributions transformed the nature of unionization by pooling together resources to fight for the common good. 

Never forget Mother Jones' fight to organize mine workers. 

Miners faced some of the most degrading conditions of any American workers. Forced to work in dangerous, cramped, and dirty conditions for unreasonable hours, many miners fell ill or were injured. However, there was no means for recourse before unionization. They constantly faces abuse from employers, from terrible living conditions in mine towns to abysmally low wages. Before women were even allowed to vote, Mother Jones toured mines, convincing workers to stand up and fight. She brought even doubters on board and was instrumental in gaining rights for miners. Sadly, this feminist's instrumental contributions to American labor are often ignored. 

Never forget Lewis Hine's fight to expose the terrors of child labor.

During and just after the Industrial Revolution, demand for cheap labor combined with lack of regulation led to the flourishing of childhood labor. Children as young as 8 toiled under filthy, dangerous conditions for long hours. Countless children were mistreated, maimed, or killed on the job, and in some places up to 25% of factory workers were children. In 1904, a number of labor advocates founded the National Child Labor Committee, which gradually began to gain support. Their goal was to put an end to the abusive employment of kids. In 1908, photographer Lewis Hine began to work with the NCLC to showcase the plight of factory children. His images were widely circulated and brought attention to the scope of the child labor problem. Working with unions and the NCLC, Hines helped win reforms in congress to ban childhood labor.

Never forget coal miners' bloody fights for unionization.

Time and time again, efforts to unionize met serious resistance. Companies used to hire armed strikebreakers to disrupt bargaining efforts and end strikes. These scabs employed violent tactics, often killing workers or destroying their communities. Still, however, many who lost everything persevered. From the Battle of Blair Mountain (WV) in 1921, where over 50 strikers died, to the Brookside Dispute (KY) in 1974, where miners and their families faced violence, Appalachian workers fought bravely against corporate thuggery. Women, children, and community organizations all came together to support strikers, and in many cases, these struggles ended in success. In Brookside, miners gained the right to a union, which negotiated a better contract for them. The sacrifices of the miners who were shot at, killed, and beaten led to gains for all workers. 

Never forget John L. Lewis' fight for pensions and social insurance. 

Unions fought to create Social Security, a program that keeps over 20 million Americans out of poverty. Led by John L. Lewis and the United Mine Workers, labor support helped pass the Social Security Act and overcome conservative challenges. None of us can even imagine a country without Social Security, a country where our elderly population falls into a sad cycle of poverty and misery. 

Never forget United Auto Workers president Walter Reuther's fight for civil rights. 

Unions have been at the forefront of racial integration. Southern Populist efforts to unionize in the late 1800's brought together poor Blacks and poor Whites to demand economic fairness. This led to Jim Crow laws and promotion of prejudice in order to divorce workers from their economic concerns and preempt a working class alliance. Union workers toiled side by side, no matter what their skin color. In Southern West Virginia, where union coal mining was strong, racial animosity was notably lower than elsewhere in the South. Because of organized labor, people were more concerned with the common good than racial conflicts. Much later, unions once again took the lead on civil rights issues. UAW president Walter Reuther addressed the March on Washington, proclaiming: "I share the view that the struggle for civil rights . . . is not the struggle of Negro Americans, but the struggle for every American to join in." His support, and that of other labor leaders, helped convince many White Americans of the importance of civil rights. Moreover, union resources were critical to the efforts of leaders like Martin Luther King, providing the movement with expanded political and economic power. In turn, this facilitated passage of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, two huge leaps towards equality.  

Never forget the fight of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta for farm worker rights. 

Before unionization, farm workers were subject to abhorrent working conditions. Picking fruits and vegetables all day under stifling heat, exposed to dangerous chemicals, and paid woefully inadequate wages, these workers lacked the most basic of rights. Threatened with discipline if they spoke up, farm workers were not able to fight for better rights. This all changed when Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta spoke up and began to organize a union for farm workers. They founded the NWFA and began to organize nationwide, starting strikes and successfully pushing for pro-worker legislation. Some of their most ambitious and successful operations were boycotts of non-union grapes and lettuce. These boycotts spread like wildfire and their economic implications were felt by producers, who gave in and substantially raised wages. Their work together revolutionized farm work and represented one of labor's most successful modern efforts.

If we truly seek to honor the legacy of these heroes, it is not enough to simply post "Happy Labor Day!" once the corn is cooked. We must stand up for American workers. It's not that hard! Here are a few steps we can all take to honor organized labor and its contributions to our country:

1. Vote for union-endorsed candidates.

2. Buy American-made, union-made products. There are apps to help identify union-friendly brands. 

3. Become a dues-paying union member if you can. This is a direct way to contribute (and benefit!).

4. Spread awareness about the importance of unions.

5. Contact your local union rep and ask how you can help fight anti-union laws.

6. Call your elected officials and tell them to support card check legislation.

7. Talk to your friends about how they can help too. 

So, as summer ends and we celebrate Labor Day, we must remember the storied history of unions. It's time for a revival. I'm ready for a new American labor movement. We need economic justice and fairness in this country, and the best way to bring that about is by fighting for organized labor and truly celebrating Labor Day.