General Discussion

yardwork

(69,904 posts)

44. It's a long article, worth the read.

Sun Jun 21, 2026, 12:05 PM

Yesterday

I think the author makes a strong case.

There's a schism in thinking about this among Democrats. At one extreme we have the opinion expressed by Bernie Sanders and others that the white (and white-adjacent) working class is worried about the economy and feels left behind.

The author of this column asks a good question: if it's about economic oppression, then why haven't Black working class voters abandoned the Democratic Party like their white counterparts did?

I think the author is correct. It's about racism. Southern Democrats left the party after the Civil Rights Acts were passed in the 1960s. Whites watch Fox News because the racist messages appeal to them. Whites support Trump despite all his failures because he's doing the one thing they really care about: he's attacking non-whites.

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Dan susanr516 Prof. Toru Tanaka Cirsium Wednesdays betsuni BaronChocula UniqueUserName love_katz IbogaProject diane in sf dave99 Richard58 Cognitive_Resonance PunkinPi MrsCheaplaugh

136 replies

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Highlight:

The Guardian nails it: White working class votes for white supremacists. Period. [View all] AverageOldGuy Yesterday OP

Kick dalton99a Yesterday #1

Thank you for posting this. It's the plain truth. n/t Mister Ed Yesterday #2

The American Civil War NEVER ENDED. NoMoreRepugs Yesterday #3

Had I been in power in 1865 lonely bird 7 hrs ago #115

I agree and I've been in Alabama for 60-plus years misanthrope 30 min ago #136

No it did not and it has been obvious misanthrope 32 min ago #135

Yup. Ocelot II Yesterday #4

White Working Class includes a lot of others now--given the devastating economy-- so... hlthe2b Yesterday #5

It's a long article, worth the read. yardwork Yesterday #44

I agree that it is about racism, but economics are also a factor. wnylib Yesterday #67

Democrats did lose 30% of the young, male, black vote. questionseverything Yesterday #70

In part because Democrats are now defending gay and trans people. Wednesdays 23 hrs ago #84

Empathy is looked down on wolfie001 5 hrs ago #119

I venture to guess many/most DUers are "working class" and a lot are White. Are they all to be lumped in hlthe2b 22 hrs ago #88

In a sense, "access to power over other racial groups" is still viewed by lower class whites as an economic advantage. sop Yesterday #6

+1 dalton99a Yesterday #11

Great OP malaise Yesterday #7

"I may get screwed over, but the Other, the 'They', they get screwed over even more." ck4829 Yesterday #8

I'm white working class. I am not MAGA! I am not racist! Please stop stereotyping. Doodley Yesterday #9

You're right. It would be more accurate to add the modifier "some" before "white working class." sop Yesterday #13

I live in a "working class" neighborhood in metro Detroit. Kid Berwyn Yesterday #22

+1 Auggie Yesterday #32

This message was self-deleted by its author yardwork Yesterday #45

Geez. Nobody is stereotyping. yardwork Yesterday #46

Not sure that "strong majority" of white working class still holds true. Not all white working class KPN Yesterday #65

I don't know a single Trump voter who says they regret their vote. yardwork 23 hrs ago #77

I've never heard one say, "I think Trump is terrible, I regret voting for him, I think I'll vote 'D' next time." sop 6 hrs ago #116

We cannot discuss race without someone being offended Keepthesoulalive Yesterday #49

As a white person I just don't understand the defensiveness. yardwork Yesterday #60

Race is an uncomfortable subject Keepthesoulalive Yesterday #64

A lot of Americans cling to our mythology. yardwork 23 hrs ago #73

It's classic bean souping... meadowlander 12 hrs ago #106

24% of black men voted for Trump. Why? It isn't as simple as black versus white. Yes, you need modifiers unless you Doodley 7 hrs ago #113

The problem with any discussion about race Keepthesoulalive 3 hrs ago #123

I'm not being defensive. I can talk about race all day, but stop stereotyping--that's what racism is. Doodley 1 hr ago #125

You're being defensive now Keepthesoulalive 1 hr ago #127

Sorry if you don't like my opinion that you shouldn't stereotype and that stereotyping is what racism is. Doodley 1 hr ago #128

Once more for the folks in the audience Keepthesoulalive 1 hr ago #129

You are wrong in your assumptions about me. 11 people recommended my reply in which I objected to the stereotyping. Doodley 56 min ago #131

Okay Keepthesoulalive 46 min ago #132

Let's have a truce and accept maybe we misunderstood each other. I apologize if my tone was aggressive. Doodley 37 min ago #134

15% Dlpger61 1 hr ago #130

It is actually 21 percent according to Pew. Doodley 39 min ago #133

Absolute agreement. Literalism can be a popular pablum allowing Torchlight 3 hrs ago #124

I'm white working-class male and I Dr. T Yesterday #51

Good for you Cirsium 23 hrs ago #76

What are you talking about? Doodley 7 hrs ago #114

Spot on ABC123Easy Yesterday #10

Bill Clinton had a chance to change this when he was in the White House FakeNoose Yesterday #12

I can remember a picture of Clinton & Gore with a credit-card type card that would be your access card to Universal NBachers Yesterday #27

Yeah, Clinton's eight years of peace and prosperity comradebillyboy Yesterday #38

If not President Clinton MorbidButterflyTat 23 hrs ago #78

That's not what I implied, but thanks for sharing your thoughts FakeNoose 23 hrs ago #87

The majority of white people have voted republican since LBJ Keepthesoulalive Yesterday #39

They started leaving way before Bill Clinion DFW Yesterday #40

LBJ knew he was going to lose the southern racists by signing the Civil Rights Act FakeNoose 22 hrs ago #89

Read the essay linked in the OP. yardwork Yesterday #47

No. White working class left in post-civil rights era after the two parties diverged on race, cultural changes. betsuni Yesterday #55

Fox News and hate radio push a steady diet of anti-Black, anti-immigrant messaging. yardwork Yesterday #58

At the gym yesterday .. justsomeguy01 Yesterday #62

From the Right: "liberals hate white people," other direction: "Dem establishment ignores white working class betsuni Yesterday #66

...to his credit.. thomski64 6 hrs ago #117

Not true Cirsium 23 hrs ago #75

I would hate to see anyone here take what the author said personally. ShazzieB 11 hrs ago #109

How do you "install" universal healthcare? LisaM 19 hrs ago #103

Myth there are simple solutions for everything but corrupt establishment stops it. betsuni 12 hrs ago #107

Clinton wasn't the only thing happening when white working class started leaving MadameButterfly 7 hrs ago #112

While often true, it's not a universal, absolute truth Fiendish Thingy Yesterday #14

But will they continue to vote for the party of progress Keepthesoulalive Yesterday #68

The paradigm has shifted Fiendish Thingy 23 hrs ago #86

I wish I could share your enthusiasm Keepthesoulalive 22 hrs ago #91

The evidence indicates the billionaires are losing Fiendish Thingy 21 hrs ago #98

They will control the House for a generation. mr715 22 hrs ago #94

I think it is important to note that West Virginia mr715 22 hrs ago #92

But why Keepthesoulalive 22 hrs ago #93

White, working class voters. mr715 22 hrs ago #95

West Virginia is one of the most beautiful states Keepthesoulalive 21 hrs ago #97

Republicans told people Democratic environmental regulations would take all their jobs. betsuni 11 hrs ago #108

"centrist, neoliberalism and triangulation, deregulation of energy" -- for example? Blame Democrats! betsuni 10 hrs ago #110

That's true. Janbdwl72 12 hrs ago #105

And Carter in 1980 mr715 1 hr ago #126

Worth reading, and here's the money shot... TygrBright Yesterday #15

+1 leftstreet 3 hrs ago #122

When I hear him say make Americkkka great again it's really make racism great again! kimbutgar Yesterday #16

great read. mopinko Yesterday #17

I worked in Greenville MS back in 1989 when Boeing had a plant there KS Toronado Yesterday #18

There is in group discussion Keepthesoulalive Yesterday #59

Really wish more on DU would understand this reality. rogue emissary Yesterday #19

It's a shallow combination of ownership within class identity and fear of unknown competition haele Yesterday #50

Yes, artificial and unnecessary division based on falsehood that Democrats "ignore the working class." betsuni Yesterday #71

And these beliefs and preferences are very difficult to counter, even with the "right messaging" Redleg Yesterday #20

The story of the white sharecropper poisoning his black sharecropper neighbor's mule come to mind. Squaredeal Yesterday #21

Jeezus. Humans need a reboot. Joinfortmill Yesterday #25

This message was self-deleted by its author MerryBlooms 19 hrs ago #102

Republicans understand this. SamuelAdams Yesterday #23

dumb, dumber, dumbest Joinfortmill Yesterday #24

I think they need somebody to look down on. zanana1 Yesterday #26

I wonder if there's not some of that going on with "us" TheProle Yesterday #57

Well, we look down on MAGA. zanana1 5 hrs ago #118

MAGA is simply shorthand for anyone who slavishly supports and follows Trump. sop 5 hrs ago #120

Sounds like the older part of my family....MAGATs all BeneteauBum Yesterday #28

This is a "duh" headline..white working class vote their hate for "the other"... agingdem Yesterday #29

Not really "duh" since we aren't used to seeing this from the media, at least in the U.S. Redleg Yesterday #30

The Guardian is British paper...our papers/MSM are so terrified of MAGA agingdem Yesterday #35

... Solly Mack Yesterday #31

Worked in an auto plant just West of Detroit. multigraincracker Yesterday #33

We need to go back to colorblind (if we still can) gulliver Yesterday #34

Yes, this is central to understanding the American project and why it has failed. nt Blasphemer Yesterday #36

"Mississippi Burning" duckworth969 Yesterday #37

A great movie- I doubt it would be made today, given the kow-towing to Trump Redleg Yesterday #43

It's because of racism we can't have the nice things that folks have in other rich countries. Fil1957 Yesterday #41

And yet...guys like Graham Platner, Zohran Mamdani, Abdul El Sayed biocube Yesterday #42

Post removed Post removed Yesterday #48

And what about brown men with "foreign-sounding names" like Mamdani and El Sayed? biocube Yesterday #54

American Arabs are white adjacent in the minds of many. yardwork Yesterday #56

That's just great. MorbidButterflyTat 23 hrs ago #82

What rhetoric is Platner using that signals he is a racist? I find your attack on him to be problematic at best. He is Celerity 22 hrs ago #90

What is the point? Cirsium 23 hrs ago #79

And yet...Andrew Cuomo won white voters in NYC SocialDemocrat61 4 hrs ago #121

Ive pushed back on this for decades Cosmocat Yesterday #52

yes, like Black people have known since forever yobrault1 Yesterday #53

While I agree to a point, but it's waaay more complicated than that. paleotn Yesterday #61

We enable that to happen, by ... Bluetus Yesterday #63

Noooooo! We Just Need To UNDERSTAND THEM! TALK With Them! Really.....! ColoringFool Yesterday #69

I live in Pennsylvania and I know plenty of people like that. Alice B. Yesterday #72

I grew up in rural Ohio and I hear it often from people I grew up with. yardwork 23 hrs ago #74

People start framing things like, the "Obama Library" MorbidButterflyTat 23 hrs ago #83

Which is why we will never see a black Republican presidential nominee in our lifetimes. Wednesdays 23 hrs ago #80

Saida Grundy nails it Cirsium 23 hrs ago #81

The ruling class uses racism orthoclad 23 hrs ago #85

All American racists love Trump and would never vote for anyone else. Martin68 22 hrs ago #96

Wish i could JustAnotherGen 20 hrs ago #99

Some eyes are being opened here Keepthesoulalive 14 hrs ago #104

Yes, has The Guardian stamp of progressive approval, no shooting the messenger. All data says same thing. betsuni 10 hrs ago #111

We have made progress in the face of racist forces manipulated by corrupt wealth. We will again. pat_k 20 hrs ago #100

Keeping it sinple and visual. usonian 19 hrs ago #101