Since the 2018 elections there have been a substantial number of articles that analyze the white working class and how it may vote in 2020. But, at the same time, there have been very few articles that propose specific, targeted communications and advertising strategies whose aim is to weaken Trump’s hold on his white working class support.

A message from Ed Kilgore:

As much as we all like to look at national polls and other public opinion data looking forward to the high-stakes presidential election of 2020, it’s important to keep in mind that under our current system it’s really all about winning 270 Electoral Votes. To keep us focused on that ultimate prize, our friend Taegard Goddard has passed along his new and cool interactive 2020 map, complete with history and other essential information about the Electoral College.

The Democratic Strategist is proud to present an extremely important new Strategy Memo–one that is simultaneously appearing as a lead article in The Washington Monthly.

The memo’s basic thesis is simple:

In many white working class and red state districts, Democratic policies and proposals, regardless of whether they are “progressive” or “moderate,” never get seriously debated or even considered. As a result, in these districts neither strategy can be relied on to elect Democrats.

Instead, the success of Democratic candidates in these white working class communities will most critically depend on their ability to convincingly demonstrate to voters that Democrats will once again be their most sincere, effective and genuine advocates and representatives.

This challenge cuts across the conventional centrist-progressive divide that now dominates the debate within the Democratic coalition–and will fundamentally determine the outcome in November.

For a printer-friendly document, you may download the memo below:

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Andrew Levison Memo: Modern-day “Class Consciousness” and “Class Resentment”

Warning Democrats: Some Campaign Tactics Actually Lose Votes

Democrats’ Critical Challenge: Seeing the World Through Red State Eyes

Candidates: Start Planning Now For The Day After Elections.

The unacknowledged—but vitally important—perspective that is necessary to understand why many non-racist white working class voters voted for Trump—and might do so again if Democrats don’t figure out how to respond.

A Democratic candidate running in a district with a significant number of white working class voters quickly learns that there are three major explanations for Trump’s popularity among these Americans.

1. Racism and bigotry
2. Anxiety and hostility over loss of status, role and position in a changing society
3. Legitimate and justified anger regarding difficult economic circumstances

Each of these explanations has important implications for how a Democratic candidate should run his or her campaign…

Read the Memo.