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The Democratic Strategist

Political Strategy for a Permanent Democratic Majority

A Democratic Strategist Roundtable on Progressives and the White Working Class.

The Democratic Strategist is pleased to present this important roundtable discussion about progressives and the white working class.

As the 2014 elections approach it has become increasingly clear that even the most technologically sophisticated voter targeting algorithms and most energetic and well funded “get out the vote” efforts cannot by themselves reliably insure the turnout of the 2008 and 2012 Obama coalition needed to guarantee stable majorities for progressive change.  It has become evident that progressives and Democrats have no alternative except to challenge the hold that conservative and the GOP have established over white working class Americans.

In the May/June issue of the Washington Monthly, Stan Greenberg and Ruy Teixeira – two of the most perceptive political analysts operating today – provide a broad overview of the prospects and possibilities for achieving this goal. This companion roundtable, hosted by the Democratic Strategist, extends this discussion by asking a wide group of respected progressive and democratic to answer a simple, no-holds barred question: “What is the most important single step progressives and democrats can take to regain support among white working class Americans?”

The response has been remarkable. Along with the six individuals who appear in these pages, an extraordinary number of equally knowledgeable observers have also submitted contributions to the broad discussion of this critically important issue which is being conducted online here.

We hope and confidently expect that this current unique discussion will grow and extend beyond the initial insights presented here and that the online forum will become an ongoing “R & D department” for the elaboration and planning of strategies to win back the allegiance and support of the white working class Americans. Ordinary working Americans were once a central pillar of the New Deal coalition and its ethos of broadly based progressive change and we believe that they can be once again.

Ed Kilgore – Managing Editor, the Democratic Strategist,
Andrew Levison – Contributing Editor, the Democratic Strategist

Go to the complete Roundtable.