How can we get Blue Collar, White Males to reject the Cheap Labor Party??

[ElementaryPenguin]

Other than the abolition of the electronic vote rigging (and, of course, somehow avoiding a nuclear war within the remaining year and a half of the Bush Reign of Terror)- isn't this our most important issue?

We certainly can't appeal to them with many of the usual liberal standard bearers (the Barbra Steisands, Jane Fondas, the Clintons). Don't we need more exposure for the more blue collar, good ole boy type liberals like Willie Nelson? Bruce Springsteen is another tremendous asset. I think that some of the blue collar support that Cheap Labor gets is really based more on a REJECTION of the intellectualism of many liberals (such as the brainy Woody Allen types), more than it is for any real fondness for the party of the country clubs. Unfortunately, a lot of blue collar Cheap Labor supporters seem to really distrust anyone who reads a lot (a major problem).

So, it seems to me, as long as we tell them they can still keep their guns and have great, affordable health care for their whole families to boot...as long as we can recruit...I don't know, perhaps a race car driver - to explain how badly the Cheap Labor Party has been using them Big-Time-taking them for fools - tax cuts for only the super wealthy, INCREASING their tax burden and eliminating their services (not to mention, wiping out their Social Security), and how a bunch of Chickenshit ChickenHawks (real men do NOT let other men do their fighting for them) are abusing the American military - unfairly forcing them to fight and die, in an endless war strictly for the benefit of big oil and defense contractor tycoons!!

How do best can we reach them? We HAVE to find a way. Any thoughts?

[blondeatlast]

1. The threat to overtime pay makes a damn good starting

talking point. Even if the blue collars aren't union, we ought to be able to get their attention with that one.

On edit: spelling, grammar, word choice--sheesh!

[ElementaryPenguin]

4. Right you are, blonde!! * gave us a gift with that one!!

We need to exploit that one to the hilt!!!

[jagguy]

81. if I understand this thing it won't impact many of them

its more like white collar overtime that gets whacked.

[Runesong]

2. Call it the "Cheap Labor Party"

Seriously, it is a brilliant idea.

I have posted it on a few forums. The only semi-intelligent response was, "Expensive Labor Liberals: If you raise minimum wage to $12/hr, you will pay $3.00 for a loaf of bread!"

How would you counter that. (other than it's hyper exaggeration)

[sandnsea]

5. It didn't happen in Oregon

Minimum wage is $6.90 and a Whopper is still 99 cents. Somehow or other, gas stations employ people just to pump gas and still make a profit and the gas is usually cheaper than California where it comes from in the first place.

Revenue goes to CEO's and stockholders, that's the Cheap Labor Plan.

[ElementaryPenguin]

10. Good example, sandnsea! The kind Cheap Labor hates!!!

eom

[saline]

6. you did.

I would say the fact that its a hyper exaggeration refutes it completely.

[drdigi420]

17. Explain that

Competing companies with smaller CEO SALARIES and BETTER MANAGEMENT would provide the bread at a more reasonable cost.

Make sure they realize that the cost of labor isn't what drives the price of goods up, it's the price of management and corruption.

Added On Edit:
Let's not forget to stop paying farmers to not grow wheat just to keep the price high even with surplus production. Offer occupational retraining to displaced farmers.

[whoYaCallinAlib]

3. Blue collar white males tend to be God-fearing, gun-toting, military

loving, welfare-hating moderates. You got to connect with them on those issues first if you want to get them to open up to your "cheap labor" tag for the GOP>

[ElementaryPenguin]

7. Okay, so we say they can have their rifles - even praise their rifles

Say God is very cool, he loves 'Murica, lots of folks outside of the Cheap Labor Party praise God too, military is very cool, also - pointing out that it is a horrendous CRIME to exploit America's finest - keeping them in a country where they are easy targets to be picked off (not to mention, where they are sweating their Yankee cojones off) - which is exactly what the Cheap Labor Party is doing. And point out (and this is a whopper) that our hard earned American tax dollars SHOULD NOT go to building schools and hospitals and healthcare in EyeRaq - when 'Muricans can't afford good healthcare, and our hospitals and schools rightch here in the good ole U.S. of A. are fallin' apart!!!

[w4rma]

19. Brilliant, EP! And I love the term "Cheap Labor Party/Conservatives" (n/t

[ElementaryPenguin]

24. Cheap Labor Party, Cheap Labor Party, Cheap Labor Party

Where is the Cheap Labor Party holding their convention? Help me, I've forgotten.

[KamaAina]

27. In, of all places, pro-union, anti-Cheap Labor NYC!

so that they can tug at the heartstrings nightly by having the cameras pan up to that hole in the skyline...

Ooooh, it's gonna be FUN!

[saline]

8. um...

This seems like a whole lot of stereotyping for one sentence perhaps break it up a little. At the same time blue collar white males also tend to be (at least partly) college educated, nature loving, fully in favor of the bill of rights guns or not, they're commonly family men. In addition in the course of American history if it haden't been for the courage of blue collar white men to stand up and just not take it any more we'd still have twelve hour work days and probably lost a world war or two.

Talking about them like they're troglodytes isn't going to help anyone get anywhere. A clearly explained platform with evident benefits will reap blue collar riches.

[ElementaryPenguin]

16. I'm not knocking blue collar men in general - just those supporting the

Cheap Labor Party!! You make some very good points and I'm sorry if I can off that way. That isn't how I intended my message to be perceived. Having said that, I think we are really kidding ourselves if we refuse to face the fact that a disproportionate amount of blue collar, white males DO vote like "troglodytes" - and we do nothing at all to address this very big problem!

[SharonAnn]

37. Oh, they don't need money to live on? They don't care about

being stolen from? All the other stuff takes precedence?

I doubt it.

[Clete]

9. Don't talk about banning guns.

eom

[ElementaryPenguin]

25. You got that right!!

We've lost them the moment we do - and we can't afford to lose them - not this time!! You know the Cheap Labor Party will jump on that with that built-in gimmick of theirs!!

[Demobrat]

11. This is not a group that I know anything about.

Why do they hate welfare? Have they never had a friend or relative with two kids under five and a deadbeat spouse? Can they just not imagine ever needing help themselves? Are they so bitter at the cards life has dealt them that they just can't stand the thought that somebody, somewhere might be getting free money and they're not? If I understood that, maybe I could understand the appeal of the Repukes.

[saline]

15. As near as I can tell...

Its the idea that a "real man" doesn't need help. It's based upon the myth that America is a meritocracy and if you work hard enough and are smart enough you too can succeed. In addition, welfare just has a certain stigma to it.

I know, or rather knew, a family of four which struggled greatly and had a number of large problems. They could have used the welfare money, they downright needed it. They had just had a son (the first by the man in the picture) and the father had just gotten out of jail on a plea bargained drug possession charge. He had an alright job as a mover but it's damn hard to live on one income with two kids. His opinion was to paraphrase "no son of mine will grow up on welfare."

He also got angry at donations of food from the womans mother, it's just defense of ego based on the belief that everyone else has worked for everything they have.

editted so thet aye two cahn spehl

[ElementaryPenguin]

18. However, even "real men" DO need healthcare - and they know it!

Even real men squirm at the thought of not being able to afford to care for their sick children - and he'd damn sure place that as a priority over spending all our money rebuilding some school in Eye-rack that we just blew up for no reason!

[saline]

20. very true

And both of them were changing their views on Bush (and particularly the war) last time I talked with them which was months ago. By now hopefully their doing better (economically and politically).

[SharonAnn]

38. And they need good wages to provide food and shelter and

clothing for their family.

And they want the government to support the schools so that their kids can afford to get an education, even college or tech school after high school.

[KittyWampus]

41. Vote Democrat Cause Even REAL MEN Need Health Care

How's that for a slogan.... :)

[drdigi420]

21. They hate welfare simply because

they perceive it as a handout to black people. That is what the AM radio in their truck tells them. Their ignorance allows racism to fester, and let's face it, while not all Republicans are racist, damned near all racists (white ones anyway) are Republican.

The welfare issue is purely race driven.

So, lets appeal to their ignorance in a practical way:

"Welfare keeps 'those people' from having to steal your shit to eat!"

High-brow discussion will not work, it only confuses and angers them and furthers their distrust of intellectuals. Only emotional appeals to the John Wayne/Clint Eastwood inside them will work.

[Demobrat]

33. Oh.

When I hear the word "welfare" I picture poor white people in Appalachia, or else my high school friend (white) who had to go on welfare when her husband left her high and dry with four kids under six and no way to make a living. They picture something else. People who look different from them. I guess I should have thought of that.

[SharonAnn]

39. And in every area I'ved live in, whites outnumbered blacks

on welfare. Usually by far.

[ElementaryPenguin]

26. Still. We can't afford to give up on them as a group. We need

to find issues that appeal to them, at the same time we find ways to actually ENLIGHTEN them!! It can be done, you know! (except with true hardcore freeper types)

[ComerPerro]

12. Here is the problem

The conservative sterotype that is forced down people's throats says that we are liberal, hippie, communist tree-huggers that would rather smoke a bowl than fight in a war (well, to be fair, I would).

I hate to say it, but we must attack. If the left had even half the organazied slander campaigns that the right uses, we would have no problem holding power.

The biggest problem with blue-collar males??

The tough guy, macho moron image is appealing to them. This is why Schwartenegger will run in California, and its why Bush, despite being a cocaine user, an alcoholic, and a complete idiot, is popular.

War, violence, and not thinking appeals to the blue collar white male (take my word for it).
The Republicans are offering all three.
The "trifecta", if you will...

[ElementaryPenguin]

22. We must shove the ChickenHawk issue down their throats!!!

Chimpy and Rush and Cheney are, in actuality, sissy-yellow bellies according the real men code of honor!! Even tough talking Rummy is actually a bullshitting ChickenHawk who sat out the ENTIRE Korean War before he thought it was safe to enlist!! Buncha Chickenshit, fat rich kid frat-rat, soft, bullshitting AWOL wimps are really what the Chimp/Cheney/Rush crowd are - and we have to expose that to this group in a very big and dramatic way!!

[blm]

36. Exactly.....they want their heroes.

The Dem Convention should be a tribute to Dem military heroes and those who have worn the uniform for REAL... featuring John Glenn, Bob Kerrey, Max Cleland, Wesley Clark, Jimmy Carter, et al.....

Veterans should POUND HOME that chickenhawks are running the military into the ground.

No redblooded American male is going to say they identify with Bush after the beating he gets with that awolstick.

[Yavin4]

13. Raise The Minimum Wage!

Republicans say a tax cut is going to do it. The Democrats whous counter by proposing raising the minimum wage.

Elect a Democrat. Get a Raise.

[Yavin4]

14. Beware of the Stereotyping

For every chest thumping blue collar male that loves war and Bush, there are about a 1,000 blue collar White males that have a family to feed and children to raise. You go after these White males. You appeal to them.

Any White collar male that thinks that Ahnuld would make a good governor is beyond the scope of the Democratic party.

[ElementaryPenguin]

23. I think the extreme chest thumpers make up a very small percentage...

But do the others vote for Cheap Labor just to go along with the real men crowd, even suspecting that Bush is a chickenshit bufoon??

[Upfront]

34. Union Member Speaking

Having been a union member and a Multi-tradesman, "pipefitter/welder, millwright", for about 30 years, I would like to, respectfully, say that the things I have read here make me wonder if I belong in the democratic party. You people, with two exceptions , do not have a clue. We don't read, give me a break. You insult blue collar workers, and yet, want their vote? I went though an eight year apprenticeship trying to learn to do skilled work in a professional manner. I have also had two years of college and, in comparison, it was a joke. You want the blue collar vote, tell them you don't like NAFTA and what you intend to do about it. Tell them you are going to end the company's right to hire strike breakers in a legal strike. Show them a national health plan that can be passed. Tell them you will stop this overtime bull crap. Some of you need to do a little research in the area of the union movement. Beleive me, I hope no blue collar people read this thread. Finally, tell how you're going to work as hard as you can to defeat these bastards who are in the Whitehouse today. Oh, you are right about the gun issue, get off it. Howard Dean will get our vote, listen to him! :wtf:

[indigo32]

42. Thank you Upfront

I'm a female tech professional...but I know enough people like you to be very frightened by this thread.

[blondeatlast]

57. Thanks, UpFront. Don't give up on the Dems;

the Dems need to embrace the unions again. This is the time and the place to do it.

The pink and blue collars are underrepresented on this thread, but there are alot of them on DU.

[ScreamingMeemie]

48. THANK YOU, from the wife of a well read, blue collar, war hating, hard

working male. This entire thread has been so much BS until I got to your post.

[OKNancy]

63. and some people wonder

why we get tagged with the elitist label.

[ScreamingMeemie]

73. Read the BigGuy's posts and you'll get a real good idea

why we get labeled that. Unf*ckingbelievable. Although I think it's just to be contrary.

[OKNancy]

61. Thank you because I was getting pretty pissed

with all the bull written on this thread. My husband is a blue collar worker and very liberal. He is doing quit a bit a talking to the guys on his crew and he has swayed a few. For one, the biggest issue is abortion, but my husband told him, "you are a conservative Democrat, not a Republican. THis co-worker hates Bush, and really really responds to the health care issue ( he's a vet too, so he sees the the quagmire for what it is)

[ReadTomPaine]

28. Perhaps free beer?

<eom>

[ElementaryPenguin]

31. Good suggestion!

Couple brewskis for every supporter!

[snippy]

29. Jobs and deficits. Stay away from gun control. Counter republican lies.

Since Harding was president, no republican president has had a higher annual rate of job creation during his time in office than any democratic president.

Since Kennedy was president, republican presidents always have higher deficits than democratic presidents, both in actual dollars and as a perecentage of GDP.

Gun control is a politically devastating issue in too many states.

Republican lies must be countered immediately and with a savage response. Too many democratic candidates allow republicans to use the GOPAC list of words to define the democrats. The constant repetition of those words affects lots of independent voters who do not follow politcs closely. Those words are:

abuse of power
anti- (issue): flag, family, child, jobs
betray
bizarre
bosses
bureaucracy
cheat
coercion
"compassion" is not enough
collapse(ing)
consequences
corrupt
corruption
criminal rights
crisis
cynicism
decay
deeper
destroy
destructive
devour
disgrace
endanger
excuses
failure (fail)
greed
hypocrisy
ideological
impose
incompetent
insecure
insensitive
intolerant
liberal
lie
limit(s)
machine
mandate(s)
obsolete
pathetic
patronage
permissive attitude
pessimistic
punish (poor ...)
radical
red tape
self-serving
selfish
sensationalists
shallow
shame
sick
spend(ing)
stagnation
status quo
steal
taxes
they/them
threaten
traitors
unionized
urgent (cy)
waste
welfare

Many of thes words resonate with the blue collar voter. When republicans use these words the democrats need to respond immediately with accusations that the republican is merely repeating lies that he or she has been instructed to say.

On edit: Quote Reagan on the EITC. He called it the "the best anti-poverty, the best pro-family, the best job creation measure to come out of Congress."

[ulysses]

30. by talking to them honestly, maybe?

[sandnsea]

40. Honesty, Fairness & Pride

That's what appeals to the blue collar male. Wrap liberal principles in those three things and you'll get the blue collar worker back. Don't ya think?

[chaska]

32. It's simple

Give them a symbol of strength to vote for, i.e., Wesley Clark. Seriously - this is not intended to be flippant. If you give people the right symbol they will vote for a (stealth) liberal like Clark, even claiming him as they're own. Perception/appearance is everything. This is why it is so important for Clark to win the nomination - he can return the white male to the Demoratic party.

Because of this lousy Bush economy I am a blue collar white male, albeit an educated one. I work construction. Good news is, I've noticed doubt starting to creep in - outright derision (for Bush)occasionally rears it pretty little head. Public opinion changes very slowly.

[Ilsa]

35. We need to remind them that CEO comp has gone up

in all these years while our jobs are being exported or our pay shrivelled into beans. I know there is a website that explains how they are raking it in while stock prices fall and companies lay off workers.

[Township75]

43. As someone who grew up in in area with these people...

grew up with their kids, stayed at their homes, and now live in a different area with the same types of people, I can tell that some of you need your heads to be pulled out of your asses. Seriously, some of you call yourselves educated and say completely fucking stupid things.

First off, they do read, but not to the extent of most of the DU posters. They also don't delve into politics as much as most of us do, so don't ask why they aren't upset with Bush's lies, when they may not know much about them, or haven't been convinced yet.

Second, as mentioned before, don't think that if you have a college degree that you are smart. Anyone who has been to college should know that there are plenty of complete dip shits that get degrees. I sometimes wonder how this country will stay competitive in the future when I spend time on campus. Also, just because you have a degree doesn't mean you matter much to the real world. If you can't use your degree, whether it is because there is no job for it, or you are just booksmart and have no application skills, don't try and act like you are more important/valuable/intelligent than a non educated blue collar person.

Now one thing that has been mentioned that is dead nuts on is that gun control hurts DEMS. Some have suggested not talking about it, dropping it, or running away from it. Those would help but what would be much better is to actually introduce and pass pro gun legislation. Let the assualt weapons ban die, vote for gun industry immunity from frivilous lawsuits, and pass CCW bills.

Secondly, the blue collar man can thank Clinton (and the Repubs) for NAFTA. Clinton also renewed MF Nation status with China before he left office (if I recall correctly). That really hurts blue collar workers, which in turn, really hurts us at the polls. A serious effort to end these job killers would help our efforts, and hurt the Repubs who would likely defend these agreements.

Thirdly, as someone mentioned before, Woody Allen, Rosie "Did somebody say Mc" Odonell, and Micheal Moore will not go over well with these people. There is nothing like millionaires with gated mansions, high rise condominiums and armed body guards for their kids pushing for gun control on those that have none of that. We need spokespeople who take out their own trash, fix their own toilets, drive their own hunk of junk vehicles.

Finally, a lot of blue collar workers feel as if they are looked down upon by white collar workers. In some cases its true. IF you ever look at mechanic, contractor or welder and think they got their because they did NOT try hard in school, try their job. You need to have some logical thinking skills, same damn good motor skills, and some discipline to work in hot, dirty, uncomftable conditions.

[jiacinto]

44. Talking down to them and calling them stupid

isn't going to do it.

[JVS]

45. You're absolutely correct!

[ScreamingMeemie]

49. You got it...

It will get a lot of them to question your own inflated intelligence if you do... good post.:-)

[ElementaryPenguin]

70. White, blue collar males that vote Cheap Labor Party are UNINFORMED!!!

Not necessarily stupid!!! To defend their choice of supporting the Cheap Labor Party (not their right to choose - but their choice) - now THAT'S stupid!!

[ScreamingMeemie]

46. Okay...trying to control my temper here...Too Late...

Hello, let me introduce myself. I'm married to a White,Blue collar-guess what-INTELLIGENT MALE. I've sat here and read posts looking down upon (yes that's what it is)from some imagined superior level the blue collars, the soccer moms...and I've had it.

No my husband isn't a dumbass redneck, gun-toting, anti liberal...what a shock!!!!! Guess what? He loves Dean, and so do a lot of our supposed dumbass friends.

Another thing, I read...a hell of a lot. Online, offline, books, newspapers....Guess what my dumb blue collar husband is reading? Secrets by Daniel Ellsberg, another big F*cking shock I am sure.

What's the problem here? The problem is, that if you buy into the Sh*t you are fed, you are no better than the freepers. Rush stereotypes the masses, we here shouldn't be. I live in a blue collar neighborhood. Most of us support one democratic candidate or another, none of us have flags on our cars, a lot of us loved Clinton and the only reason I don't like Babs is because I think she is a PR Bitch.

I love DU..I hate these asinine stereotypical posts. Look past what you're reading. Talk to actual Blue collar people, OH MY GOD, they're smart, well read, hardworking and just as pissed off about the current administration as you.

All I ask, again, is get rid of the d*mn steretypes, you never know who might read them, and be extremely offended.

Thanks, Laura

[Rich Hunt]

56. I agree

I live in a blue-collar industrial area.

I don't think we've ever sent a Republican to congress.

And hunting is not an essential component of blue-collar culture.

Blue-collar people hunt, wealthy people hunt.

Affluent people drive pickup trucks. There are affluent fundamentalists.

And most of us aren't wealthy enough to afford a hog.

All of those damn stereotypes can be found in middle-class people, too. But I'm guessing that you see someone in a nice truck and think "working-class". You're WRONG.

Yee-friggin-haw...

[TheBigGuy]

60. Well, fancy pickup trucks....

...thats sort of a marker of someone who is making good bucks, but likes to pretend they are still a good old boy. Tonka Toys for Adults with lots of $$$$$.

[Iris]

76. It seems people here are talking about

blue collar workers who don't see the big picture. My dad was a union man. He valued education so much that he used every bit of overtime money he made to send 3 kids to college. While others around him were buying boats and other "toys," he was writing checks to 3 different schools.

His co-workers thought he was crazy. They said when their kids turned 18, they were "out." Of course, in many cases the kids were out until the reproduced and had to move back in with mom and dad because they had no way to support themselves.

I once had a friend who was so proudly anti-union because "My daddy says if you do your job, why do you need a union?" Scarey part about that is she was in her 40s at the time, so this wasn't a 10 year old just spouting what she'd heard. I was flabbergasted that these people believed that all companies are concerned with what is best for their employees.

This way of thinking was also reflected in "Fast Food Nation" in a chapter that described a man who was physically used up and discarded by one of the big meat packing industries. They actually used him to break up a union and then fired him when he was too crippled from his various injuries to work.

How do you deal with that sort of attitude? None of my dad's 3 kids are big shot doctors or lawyers but we all know how to take care of ourselves and all have comfortable lives. I am, in fact , currently in a position of having TOO MANY choices, which I'm sure is what my dad wanted for me.

Being ignorant is a lifestyle choice. There's no difference between blue collar workers who choose to be ignorant and soccer moms who bury their heads in the SUVs.

[TheBigGuy]

58. ROFTL! what a joke.

Talk to actual Blue collar people, OH MY GOD, they're smart, well read, hardworking and just as pissed off about the current administration as you.

Well, they are hardworking.

And some might be hardworking.

But I think most blue collar folks prefer "Popular Science" or "Popular Mechanics" or "The Holy Bible" to seomthing by Daniel Ellseberg. Sure there are deviations from the norm, but we are not talking about really big intellectuals who are into book-learnin'....

...now some BC people are pretty sharp, especially if they are in the tool & die industry, but its more a mathematical and craft intelligence, not one thats into things like political books or the New Yorker.

[ScreamingMeemie]

62. Expand your horizons, no one I know fits your Rush Limbaughian

stereotype. It is very sad that even he can hit the liberal masses. Take a chance and meet some blue collar folks. You, sir, are sadly misguided...that's the sad joke.

[TheBigGuy]

64. I know what Im talking about

I came out of the blue collar world and I know what I'm talking about,...

I understand these folks will vote Democratic, if they are fairly strong union supporters,

Other than that they are very easily swayed to the GOP.

And they are not particularly sophisticated folks when it comes to politics.

[ScreamingMeemie]

66. Many times I have disagreed with your posts, but figured to each his own.

Now, because you "came from it", you think you "know" it. Do me a favor and hang out at a Dean meetup here in Detroit, or join the Kerry discussions based in Detroit online. The majority of those people are blue collar. The funny thing is, they stay away from lame stereotypes, which you seem unable to do.

Thank you, sir, for looking down upon my husband, and his fellow hardworking, friends.

Detroit is made up of blue collar, well read, blue collar. How ufortunate for you, you have taken your experience and applied it to all.

Cheers.

[TheBigGuy]

68. so are you generalizing from your Detroit experience.

This is a big country, and not everyone is like your Detroit Dean meetup compadres.

and what is so special about "hard work"? Does the very fact of working with ones hands or strenous physical labour gives one some sort of special status or claim to attention?

[ScreamingMeemie]

72. Nope lived in 6 different states and people are people every where

And they just want their voices heard, not to be assumed (and you know what assuming does) to be of one ilk. I would never do that to you. Though 'round 'bout now I'd like to.


Funny story, my father was a white collar, beer industry guy...go figure. Educate yourself.

[ElementaryPenguin]

65. Speaking for myself, I was only knocking Cheap Labor Party supporters

And certainly NOT blue collar men (plenty of which I have in my own family) in general! I'm glad that someone on this thread defended this group against the stereotypical slams they were receiving. Having said that, the FACT remains that a very disproportionately high number of white, blue collar males DO support the Cheap Labor Party - a problem for this group itself (given the level of exploitation this group is actually suffering at the hands of the Cheap Labor scoundrels), and a problem for the Democratic party, which desperately needs to remedied. Sticking our head in the sand and pretending this isn't happening - when it IS - isn't going to help solve it, any more than unfairly ridiculing the entire blue collar world will! Frankly, if I were a blue collar male, I think I might be equally offended and just as suspicious of the overly patronizing comments.

[mitchum]

47. Remind them (and yourselves) that THIS party was built...

by their ranks. Mocking them is certainly not going to attract them (this is not directed at the original poster) Focus on wages and healthcare.

[aquart]

50. Honestly? Run promos showing brown people with their jobs.

Sorry, I couldn't resist. Subliminal racism sent them scurrying to the Republicans. The current reality should knock them flat on their asses.

Every shot of a corporate logo and bigwig accompanied by happy brown workers babbling in foreign tongues.

First they sent blue collar jobs overseas and I did not protest. I was not blue collar.

Then they sent the white collar jobs overseas and there was no one left to protest.

You want those racist I-got-mine-screw-you boys back in the fold? That'll do it. Still want 'em?

[Dob Bole]

51. Get a candidate that respects them

and shares some of their values. In addition, focus on economic issues. Blue collar workers aren't particularly socially liberal compared to other Democratic groups.

[Yentatelaventa]

52. Simple

Sell gun control as a registration attempt to protect their gun rights.
Convince them that animal rights trump hunting rights.
Remind them that backcountry hiking is better for them than hunting.
Propose more wilderness land that prohibit 4wheelers so they can hike in and be more healthy.
Assure them that gun bans help keep them on par with the would-be-assault-weapon-toten Jones.

[whoYaCallinAlib]

53. Oh yeah . . . those ideas will work for sure.

Why hasn't someone thought of these "slam-dunk" winners before now?

[blondeatlast]

55. Um, what is it I'm trying to say?

Oh, yeah:

Bwahahahahahahahaha!

Good one!

That'll win votes for sure.

Help me, I can't stop laughing . . .

On edit: Try talking up your plumber or auto mechanic sometime. You seem to have a "disconnect." Also, read MrsGrumpy's posts.

[jos]

54. A little "class warfare"

Point out how the administration is a government by and for the wealthy. How it does the bidding of its contributors. How the average guy is getting screwed. And tone down the social issues.

[TheBigGuy]

59. homophoic , racist yahoos....let the GOP keep 'em.

I cant see why the Democrats are continously sucking up to this demographic when its pretty much in the GOP pocket.

Is it really worth the effort to get this vote? Let the RepubliKKKans keep this demographic, as its on its way out anyway.

[ElementaryPenguin]

67. It might be worth the investment to try to enlighten people...

Blue collar and white collar alike (the ones who do need it) - if for nothing more than making better citizens of them, hence building ourselves a better society! It really isn't only about winning an election! We need to better our society - and in a very big way. Talk radio must not be allowed to destroy the fabric of our society!! Jeez, we're really living in a ridiculous time period!! Uneducated shock jocks guiding millions of clueless, incredibly gullible adults!

[TheBigGuy]

69. you might as well be talking to a stove.

l...istening to shock jocks is alot less demanding, and more entertaining, hence their popularity. Playing to the emotions. Englightenment...hmm...never really caught on w. the peasants, did it?

[ElementaryPenguin]

71. So I'm an idealist! I've seen some individuals make some pretty

Big transformations. Why can't a community - our a certain demographic? If television had never existed all of us would today be behaving dramatically different. Societies can and do evolve (or devolve).

[scottxyz]

74. Great analysis

I agree with this type of analysis.

If straight white blue-collar guys realized how the Republicans were fucking them over with cheap-labor, pro-war, pro-rich, anti-environment, anti-healthcare, soft-on-defense policies, they'd vote Democratic instead.

But in order to make blue-collar guys understand this, you have to get a bit technical, and then you look like a nerd, so they tune you out.

By acting really dumb and macho, Republicans win over the Joe Sixpacks of the world.

This may be the main reason why US politics is so dysfunctional. Talking about politics is just a tad intellectual, and these kind of guys are either suspicious of intellectuals or regard intellectuals as somehow "sissies" and don't identify with them - and the Republicans take advantage of this anti-intellectualism by talking tough while they screw everyone over here at home and fight the wrong wars overseas leaving us more vulnerable to real, non-state actors.

I don't have all the answers, but I have one small suggestion for the military angle: I know some guys who have been in the Army, and the subject of military strategy is very interesting to them, and I've had some success in exposing how messed-up the Chickenhawks have been with all their misguided military exploits. A lot of guys who are interested in military analysis can comprehend perfectly well that the Saudis funded and staffed the 9/11 attacks and that Al Qaeda is a loosely-knit network that doesn't depend on Bagdad for survival and that North Korea with its actual nuclear materials might be more dangerous than Iraq with its make-believe ones. So it's really not to hard to attack the Republicans as being "soft on defense" and I think a lot of people are starting to do just that.

As far as the economy - it should be possible to appeal to people's self-interest. Jobs and pension-funds are disappearing and most industrial countries have free health care and four weeks off a year and here in the US the "Cheap Labor Party" is doing its best to cut overtime pay and cut taxes for the rich and make sure we never get free healthcare.

If a candidate now started saying: "I want to protect America abroad by confronting real terrorist threats instead of make-believe ones, and I want to make America strong at home by really creating jobs and providing healthcare and strengthening Social Security" - this would have to sink in, wouldn't it?

And if it didn't sink in then... well, maybe Joe Sixpack deserves what he gets. Maybe that's the right tone right there: say, "Hey, if you wanna go fight wars against the wrong guys and you wanna see the economy fall apart and you think the way to fight terror is to let Ashcroft snoop around libraries and use the phone book to go around arresting guys with Arab-sounding names, then go ahead and vote for the Republicans. Enjoy your $200 tax rebate and see how much good it's going to do when you have to go to the doctor and don't have health insurance, and enjoy your next flight where the air marshalls have all been fired because there's no money to pay for their hotels because we spent it all on Iraq. Or you can try voting for some Democrats who actually have some experience being a doctor or a soldier or working at a real job. Take your pick - keep this lying, scaredy-cat former cokehead, cheerleader, AWOL rich-kid with ties to the Bin Laden family who destroyed every corporation he ever touched as your 'leader' for the next four years - or get someone who's got some experience in the real-world fighting wars and curing patients and running companies."

I think a "take it or leave it" kind of tone like this might wake up some of the blue-collar types. They don't like to be called suckers.

[ScreamingMeemie]

75. They realize it, it is just unfortunate for them and us both

that they continue to get looked down upon as "Joe sixpack", instead of appreciated for the hard work they accomplish. Again, I say, It's a sad thing when even liberals fall for name calling and stereotyping members of their own party.

Do me a favor and Google Blue Collar liberals and Blue collar democrats. Thanks.

[indigo32]

77. a major factor

I think, and I don't mean to offend anybody by saying this. Is churches. I look around and I see these Mega-Churches going up in the Burbs, Blue and not so Blue collar. They are huge... and they are MOST DEFINITELY POLITICAL.

We need to counter that influence. Then worry about the rest.
I'm serious.

[JVS]

78. Normally I wouldn't post this because its source is generally offensive

But since it seems to be in harmony with a lot of the opinions flying around this thread I'll post it anyway.
http://www.exile.ru/169/169010101.html

Elite versus Elitny
by Mark Ames

As Russians strive to become elitny, America’s oligarchs live in denial about their elitism. Why are they still in the elitist closet?

[The Lone Liberal]

79. We need to quit insulting them

And understand their situation. They have been throughout history marginalized. What most of us forget is that the bulk of the American people were brought to this country as slaves, both black and white. Both chained by economic forces. We need to remember that when we make fun or belittle those who are locked into an economic life that does not afford the advantages that most of us here enjoy. There are those who are “hard-wired” into poverty and want.

[whoYaCallinAlib]

80. Democratic party is mainly the party of working poor, minorities

and fringe groups. That doesn't sit well with the white, gun-toting goober who votes for whoever will "kick ass and take names". They care more about being the world's bad ass and don't listen to economic arguments. So, to say the least, it will be an uphill fight to get a majority of the white male vote to go democratic.