Democrats, let me (re)introduce you to the working class
In the brilliant short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates, the main character is eventually destroyed by a character closely aligned with the characteristics of the devil, or perhaps Bob Dylan but that is beside the point. Initially the main character, Connie, likes this devil character and hopes that her first encounter with him will lead to a romance.
The danger of this devil eventually becomes apparent. By then she has lost control of her body and her surroundings and must surrender to the devil. I would liken this to the working class falling for Donald Trump and leaving the Democratic Party.
The working class’s support for Trump is similar to why Connie initially liked this devil. Connie was ignored by her father and judged and unloved by her mother, whereas others who have a loving family may have immediately noticed the evil intentions of the devil. The notion is that many men — liberal or conservative — are not as they seem.
Neither are politicians. Working-class Americans largely supported Democrats until the party shifted its focus to identity politics and agendas based on diversity, equity, and inclusion ideology. Through this new approach, liberal Democrats not only ignored the working class but also started to judge them as not educated enough and not worthy of the love and support of the party.
As a working-class, Bible-believing, evangelically trained minister and traditional liberal, please allow me to introduce the people of the working class who are being ignored and demonized by the left and are receiving manipulative false love from Trump:
The working class builds your houses, fixes your plumbing, collects your trash, cleans your houses, and delivers your packages, and we are broke. Our backs hurt from physical labor, not stress, our hands are calloused, and we have every skill the app-making, Tesla-driving, Whole Foods-shopping, and highly educated do not have.
Despite the tremendous value the working class offers this country, our wages have stagnated since around 1985. Although there have been recent gains in this area, the gains have certainly not kept up the cost of living and higher education is beyond anything we can afford. Indeed, many of us do not have a strong education and some are quite ignorant about the current culture. Still, many of us are open to growth and are willing to recognize our ignorance and even laugh at our stupidity.
Most of us don’t care about stopping the rights of anyone in the LGBTQ population or restricting abortion rights. We may not have the right language to communicate ourselves around these issues, but at least we are not pretenders. We are as we are: authentic. A key reason why Trump connects so well with us is that he is who he is and workingclass people like that.
The working-class moral code compels us to do the job right, even if it means we lose money, which is not a Trump thing. Most upper-class professionals network up, but those in the working class always network down. As the wealthy ignore the janitor, the security officer, and the facility worker, we know these are our people.
We also didn’t work from home during COVID-19 because our jobs require in-person attendance. It is hard to fix a toilet through Zoom. We go to work every day whether we are sick, depressed, hurt, disrespected by our boss, or overlooked by our company. We are never victims but workers who will do any job and typically have multiple jobs. Some of us were laid off and don’t have a job.
We are also the most diverse voting bloc. As Trump and the Republican Party redefine themselves as the party and voice of the working class, they will make gains with these voters. We are not white nationalists or even true-blue evangelicals, but we fight for our own. In working with first-generation, low-income students most of my career, I have noticed an intense frustration with the current education system. In my experience, parents care less what their kids read as long as their kids can read. These parents worry if their kids are being properly disciplined and pushed, and to their frustration none of this is happening. This causes great mistrust in the liberal philosophy.
We are people of faith. That is not to be mocked but respected. For many of us, the church is a place for us to find fellowship, acceptance, forgiveness, and grace. It reminds us to be better fathers, partners, wives, friends, sons and daughters, and employees.
Most importantly we never condemn or commend someone based on their words or their political or religious beliefs. We understand that it is what we do that is the true measure of what a person is in life.
I beg the Democrats to speak the language of the working class again. Put value on the value we contribute to this country. Remember, people would rather be heard than helped. We do not want or require the help of politicians. We want to be valued, heard, and shown some respect.
Just as the character of Connie fell into the devil’s trap because she was unseen and unloved, the workingclass “deplorables” are falling into the trap of Trump once again. The Democrats need to get back to the values of their party — one that speaks the language of the working class, understands the values of the working class, and, most importantly, shows respect to the working class.