President Joe Biden is set to join members of the United Auto Workers union Tuesday in Wayne County, Michigan, walking the picket line on the eve of a visit from former President Donald Trump.
The trip comes as Biden faces consistently low polling numbers on his handling of economic issues, and, back in Washington, the looming threat of a government shutdown this week. Both a prolonged strike and a shutdown could have economic consequences – something the White House is seeking to avoid as Biden tries to convince voters his economic policies are working. He’s also appearing in the battleground state of Michigan just one day before his chief political rival – whom he defeated in the 2020 presidential election – comes to the crucial swing state to make his own appeal to union workers.
Trump, the front-runner in the GOP presidential primary race, is scheduled to skip the second Republican debate to deliver a prime-time speech to an audience of current and former union members, including from the UAW, in Detroit on Wednesday. Trump has slammed the president for the visit, claiming Biden “had no intention” of walking the picket line until Trump said he would make a speech in Michigan.
I don’t totally disagree with this, but you don’t flip people with a single gesture. Dems have been out wasting their time for years now on fringe groups who represent a few percentage points when it comes to our total population, all while the masses have felt neglected. When is this going to change? You don’t win elections by pandering to teeny, tiny minority groups. You win elections by listening and communicating with those groups that should be representing your core Base.
You say that but non-hispanic white people make up “only” 60% of the population, and many of those people think that conservativism is insane and also want to support the remaining 40%. Almost any LGBT+ white people will be on that side as well.
That also begs the question that with nearly half the country being visible minorities and huge chunks of the majority being other forms of minority what do you mean by “those groups that should be representing your core base”?
I’ll also agree that a party’s core base should be broader than “just enough to win” and there’s no reason that salt-of-the-earth labourers and such can’t be taken care of too, especially since there’s a fair amount of overlap.
I think they hope that the pandering endears the majority of decent people to their cause. Unfortunately, the majority of people aren’t decent, substantially lack the ability to empathize, and are struggling just as much as the minority groups Dems elevate. It’s shitty identity politics and I understand why a large group of “out of touch” blue collar workers got tired of it. It’s not just they who are out of touch, and it’s certainly not them trying to win national elections.