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TheProle

(4,223 posts)

138. The same white working class that put Biden over the top in 2020?

Mon Jun 22, 2026, 02:34 PM

Jun 22

Last edited Mon Jun 22, 2026, 04:17 PM - Edit history (1)

After 2016, Democrats worried whether they could appeal to enough white working-class Trump voters to win in 2020 without alienating and disrespecting a key Democratic constituency: voters of color.

They just did. Biden won because he won back Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. The percentage of white working class men voting Democratic increased from 23% in 2016 to 28% in 2020, while among white working class women, support for Democrats increased from 34% to 36%. These voters played a key role in delivering victories for Biden in the Rust Belt states where Clinton lost the presidency in 2016.

https://hbr.org/2020/11/how-biden-won-back-enough-of-the-white-working-class

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rollin74 Doodley

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Highlight:

The Guardian nails it: White working class votes for white supremacists. Period. [View all] AverageOldGuy Jun 21 OP

Kick dalton99a Jun 21 #1

Thank you for posting this. It's the plain truth. n/t Mister Ed Jun 21 #2

The American Civil War NEVER ENDED. NoMoreRepugs Jun 21 #3

Had I been in power in 1865 lonely bird Jun 22 #115

I agree and I've been in Alabama for 60-plus years misanthrope Jun 22 #136

No it did not and it has been obvious misanthrope Jun 22 #135

May I suggest Jeremi Suri's lonely bird Jun 22 #145

Thanks misanthrope Jun 23 #151

Thanks as well lonely bird Jun 23 #155

Yup. Ocelot II Jun 21 #4

White Working Class includes a lot of others now--given the devastating economy-- so... hlthe2b Jun 21 #5

It's a long article, worth the read. yardwork Jun 21 #44

I agree that it is about racism, but economics are also a factor. wnylib Jun 21 #67

A lot of well said information electric_blue68 Jun 22 #140

Well, like other people my age, I lived through wnylib Jun 22 #143

Lots of interesting family background, and work situation issues! electric_blue68 Jun 22 #148

I am 76. You are the age of my younger sister. wnylib Jun 23 #150

If you were paying attention that 3 yrs difference stands out.. electric_blue68 Jun 23 #152

This message was self-deleted by its author wnylib Jun 23 #154

Ooo it was very late sbould have worded it "Since you were Probably paying attention the 3 yr difference was important electric_blue68 Jun 23 #156

I understood what was meant. No problem. wnylib Jun 23 #158

Wanted to make sure! electric_blue68 Jun 23 #159

Democrats did lose 30% of the young, male, black vote. questionseverything Jun 21 #70

In part because Democrats are now defending gay and trans people. Wednesdays Jun 21 #84

Empathy is looked down on wolfie001 Jun 22 #119

I venture to guess many/most DUers are "working class" and a lot are White. Are they all to be lumped in hlthe2b Jun 21 #88

In a sense, "access to power over other racial groups" is still viewed by lower class whites as an economic advantage. sop Jun 21 #6

+1 dalton99a Jun 21 #11

Great OP malaise Jun 21 #7

"I may get screwed over, but the Other, the 'They', they get screwed over even more." ck4829 Jun 21 #8

I'm white working class. I am not MAGA! I am not racist! Please stop stereotyping. Doodley Jun 21 #9

You're right. It would be more accurate to add the modifier "some" before "white working class." sop Jun 21 #13

I live in a "working class" neighborhood in metro Detroit. Kid Berwyn Jun 21 #22

+1 Auggie Jun 21 #32

This message was self-deleted by its author yardwork Jun 21 #45

Geez. Nobody is stereotyping. yardwork Jun 21 #46

Not sure that "strong majority" of white working class still holds true. Not all white working class KPN Jun 21 #65

I don't know a single Trump voter who says they regret their vote. yardwork Jun 21 #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 Jun 22 #116

We cannot discuss race without someone being offended Keepthesoulalive Jun 21 #49

As a white person I just don't understand the defensiveness. yardwork Jun 21 #60

Race is an uncomfortable subject Keepthesoulalive Jun 21 #64

A lot of Americans cling to our mythology. yardwork Jun 21 #73

It's classic bean souping... meadowlander Jun 22 #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 Jun 22 #113

The problem with any discussion about race Keepthesoulalive Jun 22 #123

I'm not being defensive. I can talk about race all day, but stop stereotyping--that's what racism is. Doodley Jun 22 #125

You're being defensive now Keepthesoulalive Jun 22 #127

Sorry if you don't like my opinion that you shouldn't stereotype and that stereotyping is what racism is. Doodley Jun 22 #128

Once more for the folks in the audience Keepthesoulalive Jun 22 #129

You are wrong in your assumptions about me. 11 people recommended my reply in which I objected to the stereotyping. Doodley Jun 22 #131

Okay Keepthesoulalive Jun 22 #132

Let's have a truce and accept maybe we misunderstood each other. I apologize if my tone was aggressive. Doodley Jun 22 #134

We're all good Keepthesoulalive Jun 22 #137

15% Dlpger61 Jun 22 #130

It is actually 21 percent according to Pew. Doodley Jun 22 #133

Absolute agreement. Literalism can be a popular pablum allowing Torchlight Jun 22 #124

I'm white working-class male and I Dr. T Jun 21 #51

Good for you Cirsium Jun 21 #76

What are you talking about? Doodley Jun 22 #114

This Cirsium Jun 22 #139

What are you talking about here: Doodley Jun 22 #147

No Cirsium Jun 23 #149

It's twelve people now. Let me understand. Are you saying you are "disappointed" with them? And their Doodley Jun 23 #153

Not sure Cirsium Jun 23 #157

No response? Cirsium Jun 24 #160

Spot on ABC123Easy Jun 21 #10

Bill Clinton had a chance to change this when he was in the White House FakeNoose Jun 21 #12

I can remember a picture of Clinton & Gore with a credit-card type card that would be your access card to Universal NBachers Jun 21 #27

Yeah, Clinton's eight years of peace and prosperity comradebillyboy Jun 21 #38

If not President Clinton MorbidButterflyTat Jun 21 #78

That's not what I implied, but thanks for sharing your thoughts FakeNoose Jun 21 #87

The majority of white people have voted republican since LBJ Keepthesoulalive Jun 21 #39

They started leaving way before Bill Clinion DFW Jun 21 #40

LBJ knew he was going to lose the southern racists by signing the Civil Rights Act FakeNoose Jun 21 #89

Read the essay linked in the OP. yardwork Jun 21 #47

No. White working class left in post-civil rights era after the two parties diverged on race, cultural changes. betsuni Jun 21 #55

Fox News and hate radio push a steady diet of anti-Black, anti-immigrant messaging. yardwork Jun 21 #58

At the gym yesterday .. justsomeguy01 Jun 21 #62

From the Right: "liberals hate white people," other direction: "Dem establishment ignores white working class betsuni Jun 21 #66

...to his credit.. thomski64 Jun 22 #117

Not true Cirsium Jun 21 #75

I would hate to see anyone here take what the author said personally. ShazzieB Jun 22 #109

How do you "install" universal healthcare? LisaM Jun 21 #103

Myth there are simple solutions for everything but corrupt establishment stops it. betsuni Jun 22 #107

Clinton wasn't the only thing happening when white working class started leaving MadameButterfly Jun 22 #112

While often true, it's not a universal, absolute truth Fiendish Thingy Jun 21 #14

But will they continue to vote for the party of progress Keepthesoulalive Jun 21 #68

The paradigm has shifted Fiendish Thingy Jun 21 #86

I wish I could share your enthusiasm Keepthesoulalive Jun 21 #91

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

They will control the House for a generation. mr715 Jun 21 #94

I think it is important to note that West Virginia mr715 Jun 21 #92

But why Keepthesoulalive Jun 21 #93

White, working class voters. mr715 Jun 21 #95

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

Republicans told people Democratic environmental regulations would take all their jobs. betsuni Jun 22 #108

"centrist, neoliberalism and triangulation, deregulation of energy" -- for example? Blame Democrats! betsuni Jun 22 #110

That's true. Janbdwl72 Jun 22 #105

And Carter in 1980 mr715 Jun 22 #126

Worth reading, and here's the money shot... TygrBright Jun 21 #15

+1 leftstreet Jun 22 #122

When I hear him say make Americkkka great again it's really make racism great again! kimbutgar Jun 21 #16

great read. mopinko Jun 21 #17

I worked in Greenville MS back in 1989 when Boeing had a plant there KS Toronado Jun 21 #18

There is in group discussion Keepthesoulalive Jun 21 #59

Really wish more on DU would understand this reality. rogue emissary Jun 21 #19

It's a shallow combination of ownership within class identity and fear of unknown competition haele Jun 21 #50

Yes, artificial and unnecessary division based on falsehood that Democrats "ignore the working class." betsuni Jun 21 #71

And these beliefs and preferences are very difficult to counter, even with the "right messaging" Redleg Jun 21 #20

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

Jeezus. Humans need a reboot. Joinfortmill Jun 21 #25

This message was self-deleted by its author MerryBlooms Jun 21 #102

Republicans understand this. SamuelAdams Jun 21 #23

dumb, dumber, dumbest Joinfortmill Jun 21 #24

I think they need somebody to look down on. zanana1 Jun 21 #26

I wonder if there's not some of that going on with "us" TheProle Jun 21 #57

Well, we look down on MAGA. zanana1 Jun 22 #118

MAGA is simply shorthand for anyone who slavishly supports and follows Trump. sop Jun 22 #120

Sounds like the older part of my family....MAGATs all BeneteauBum Jun 21 #28

This is a "duh" headline..white working class vote their hate for "the other"... agingdem Jun 21 #29

Not really "duh" since we aren't used to seeing this from the media, at least in the U.S. Redleg Jun 21 #30

The Guardian is British paper...our papers/MSM are so terrified of MAGA agingdem Jun 21 #35

... Solly Mack Jun 21 #31

Worked in an auto plant just West of Detroit. multigraincracker Jun 21 #33

We need to go back to colorblind (if we still can) gulliver Jun 21 #34

But the US was almost never "colorblind". electric_blue68 Jun 22 #141

The "colorblind ethic" was solid and working... gulliver Jun 22 #144

No, it wasn't solid and it wasn't working Quiet Em Jun 22 #146

Yes, this is central to understanding the American project and why it has failed. nt Blasphemer Jun 21 #36

"Mississippi Burning" duckworth969 Jun 21 #37

A great movie- I doubt it would be made today, given the kow-towing to Trump Redleg Jun 21 #43

It's because of racism we can't have the nice things that folks have in other rich countries. Fil1957 Jun 21 #41

And yet...guys like Graham Platner, Zohran Mamdani, Abdul El Sayed biocube Jun 21 #42

Post removed Post removed Jun 21 #48

And what about brown men with "foreign-sounding names" like Mamdani and El Sayed? biocube Jun 21 #54

American Arabs are white adjacent in the minds of many. yardwork Jun 21 #56

That's just great. MorbidButterflyTat Jun 21 #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 Jun 21 #90

What is the point? Cirsium Jun 21 #79

And yet...Andrew Cuomo won white voters in NYC SocialDemocrat61 Jun 22 #121

Ive pushed back on this for decades Cosmocat Jun 21 #52

I've said drumphf "gave permission" for rhe racists to come out from under their rocksr electric_blue68 Jun 22 #142

yes, like Black people have known since forever yobrault1 Jun 21 #53

While I agree to a point, but it's waaay more complicated than that. paleotn Jun 21 #61

We enable that to happen, by ... Bluetus Jun 21 #63

Noooooo! We Just Need To UNDERSTAND THEM! TALK With Them! Really.....! ColoringFool Jun 21 #69

I live in Pennsylvania and I know plenty of people like that. Alice B. Jun 21 #72

I grew up in rural Ohio and I hear it often from people I grew up with. yardwork Jun 21 #74

People start framing things like, the "Obama Library" MorbidButterflyTat Jun 21 #83

Which is why we will never see a black Republican presidential nominee in our lifetimes. Wednesdays Jun 21 #80

Saida Grundy nails it Cirsium Jun 21 #81

The ruling class uses racism orthoclad Jun 21 #85

All American racists love Trump and would never vote for anyone else. Martin68 Jun 21 #96

Wish i could JustAnotherGen Jun 21 #99

Some eyes are being opened here Keepthesoulalive Jun 21 #104

Yes, has The Guardian stamp of progressive approval, no shooting the messenger. All data says same thing. betsuni Jun 22 #111

We have made progress in the face of racist forces manipulated by corrupt wealth. We will again. pat_k Jun 21 #100

Keeping it sinple and visual. usonian Jun 21 #101

The same white working class that put Biden over the top in 2020? TheProle Jun 22 #138