Competing for the Blue Collar Vote: We can do it!

While reading the news on the net, I found an interesting blog entry from The Huffington Post:

This Is Angry. I Am Yelling. But I Am a White, Male Truckdriver...

"I have been reading pages and pages about the DNC and the DLC and I want to tell you why I am so opposed to the direction the DLC has taken the Party in the last 20 years.
I have been advocating, writing letters, talking locally within the Democratic Party for 25 frickin' years now. To no avail.

My message is simple: talk about workers' rights. Unionizing, outsourcing (especially outsourcing!), management cheating (we have ALL been cheated out of portions of our wages by innumerable statistical tricks). SPEAK OF THEM and blue-collar men go absolutely NUTS with recognition of the problems! Followed 5 minutes later with the most intense hunger to do something about it all that you have ever witnessed.

I speak of them to my blue-collar friends all the time! All. By. Myself.

Millions of white, male blue-collar workers go around in right-wing talk radio induced ignorance. Each and every one of them thinks that the problems they have with their employer is unique, puzzling and sure to get better after a change of management ...or something.

What I do: I simply point up how these "puzzling anomalies" are actually well-known and ancient un-fair labor practices. With NAMES! "

Fred Stembottom goes on to say:

"Can't you morons in the DLC see that blue-collar America clings to the Repubs. because the Repubs. WANT us. And they PROVE it by consistently addressing just 1 or 2 wedge issues that concern blue collar America. Nevermind that these issues don't even relate to our work life; it still trumps the absolute NOTHING that Democrats offer! "

To read the rest of Stembottom's blog entry, click here.

His lament is mostly directed at the DLC, (Democratic Leadership Council, the "Clinton-Bayh" wing of the party), presumably because of it's perceived pro-corporate leanings. What he wants from the DLC is clear: more worker-friendly policies.

But what he says can be taken to heart by the more liberal, non-DLC wing as well.

We can win back some of these votes, but we really have to focus our spotlight on the stuff that helps the majority of people with their day to day lives.

Yes, it makes us feel self righteous to pound away at our favorite socially liberal issues, but let us remember that we can't govern if we don't win at the ballot box.

I am not saying that we should give up on moral issues such as affirmative action for African Americans (as well as other remedies for racism), gay rights, anti-flag burning amendments and the like. But as far as where to focus our spotlight, remember that all Americans are affected by the loss of good jobs, the dearth of reasonable health insurance, bad schools and the like.

Let us remember that most Americans stand to lose during this terribly misguided war in Iraq; let us remember that when 9-11 came about, liberals saw that we needed a smart, moral terrorism policy (which includes the intelligent use of military force, smart law enforcement, and a more just, moral foreign policy) whereas the conservative leadership saw mostly a colossal money making opportunity for their cronies. They are utterly indifferent to the concerns of the average citizen.