Republicans Rage, Democrats Dither: How Both Parties Fail the Working Class
The Hidden Source of Democrat's Phony Centrism Hiding in Plain Sight
I used to wonder why it is that Democratic leaders like Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, Tammy Duckworth, Dick Durbin, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Steny Hoyer, and so many others lack passion. They seem like filleted fish, empty of any fire or brimstone. They have no “fight” in them.
On the other side, Republicans seem over-the-top on-fire, but for the wrong things, like cutting funding for cancer research for kids, cutting funding for the CDC, cutting funding for food programs, jailing women for abortion, gutting affirmative action programs that mainly helped White women make economic gains.
There are general differences in the parties that account for this. For example, Democratic candidates are usually more educated than Republican candidates; Republican candidates tend to come from the military, agriculture, or businesses while Democrats are more likely to come from professions like lawyers and teaching, but also business (corporations). Republicans are more often evangelical Protestants, Mormons, and fervent Catholics, while Democrats are often Catholic or unaffiliated. These differences effect how they talk to their constituents. Democrats are more likely to sound calm and rational, while Republicans sound like a Sunday preacher. Republicans also frame things using religious and military metaphors, good v. evil, wars against us or them, defending themselves against attacks and so on.
Coming from religious backgrounds with less education, Republican voters inherently trust Republican leaders. Because of this natural trust of candidates who look and talk like them, they trust their Reps to go to Washington to do what’s right - but they don’t. Red States and areas of Red inside Blue States are the most economically suppressed, poorest places in America. In Illinois for example, Chicago financially supports the rest of the State which is primarily “red.” When Republicans hold a trifecta over a State’s government (controlling the Congress, Governorship, and Supreme Court), it is not long before that State’s economy starts to tank. This is easy to see because we have decades of data to show it - look at Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and others compared to California, New York, or Massachusetts (States that have a blue trifecta). What’s tragic is that many Red States stay red and poor because Republicans run unopposed or the DNC does not fund them. Crime and violence are more common in Red States, regardless of what you hear on Fox.
Additionally, since the Fairness Doctrine was repealed, Democrats never established a liberal radio or TV network to compete with the Republican monopoly in America’s rural areas. Republicans have been spewing decades of propaganda to associate Dems with being Evil and Communist and painting Republicans as masculine patriots. About 92% of media is identifiably Conservative and only 8% Liberal.
In 2007-08, Democrats ran a “50-State Strategy,” and it worked. Democrats won the House, Senate and Presidency. It was a unexpected win. Obama became America’s first African American President. Obama won because he campaigned as a Progressive Democrat in favor or a Single-payer, Universal Healthcare system. In at least one speech, Obama said that we could have Universal Healthcare if they won the House, Senate and Presidency, but he added, that wasn’t going to happen, so what can we do? Well, they did win it all, and I think some Democrats may have panicked at that moment; the panic being: how can we not get things done for the Working and Middle Class? Change is good, but not too much.
After Obama was elected, he ditched his Progressive advisors and hired on Clinton throwbacks to run the government with him - it was a bait-and-switch. Hillary became Secretary of State, Rahm Emanuel, Chief of Staff (a very powerful position), Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense, Eric Holder as Attorney General, Leon Panetta as Director of the CIA and Secretary of Defense, Tom Vilsack and Secretary of Agriculture, and John Podesta to oversee the transfer of power from Bush to Obama. The most disappointing carry over was appointing Larry Summers as Director of the National Economic Council; Summers was Clinton’s Secretary of Treasury, and Gene Sperling as Advisor on Economic Policy. Sperling was Director of the National Economic Council under Clinton. Obama wanted to hit the ground running with a healthcare bill, a success that he could run on in 2012. Biden headed Obama’s healthcare push and was vehemently opposed to a Single Payer system, he wouldn’t even allow it on the table - not even a Medicare Buy-in that was extremely popular (73% in favor).
The 2008 financial crash and Great Recession became front and center to Obama’s presidency. He had to start working on this problem right after the election. Larry Summers, Timothy Geithner, and Christina Romer headed Obama’s economic crisis management team. They developed the stimulus package (bailouts) American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), and Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). TARP and HAMP assisted banks, and ARRA did help everyday Americans but not nearly as much as banks; wealthier Americans and Corporations received trillions in aid, while an average American saw no direct relief. HAMP also ended up helping banks more than homeowners. The recovery from 2008 was steady but very slow. By 2016, many Americans felt that they were left behind by the Democratic party. Republicans were able to paint Obamacare as socialism and the ACA “bonze plans” as a joke. Republicans fought Medicaid expansion. From 2008 to 2016, the United States lost 2.3 million manufacturing jobs, especially in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana. People needed healthcare. While the ACA did make healthcare more accessible it was not more affordable for many. Compared to the relief given to Wall Street and the Banking system, the ACA was a drop in the bucket. I witnessed this firsthand; as a business owner, I needed to pay for my own private policy when I lived in Indiana. I was shocked by the cost of the “gold” plan and the 20% coinsurances. Built into the ACA was a rule that Health insurance corporations were allowed to keep up to 15% of their premiums as profit. Must be nice to have the government legislate profit margins to be in your favor.
Millions of high-school educated men and women lost their manufacturing jobs. At the same time, Purdue Pharma had been pushing synthetic heroin (oxycontin) into rural areas, well aware that 20% of those prescribed would become addicted in a matter of weeks. Purdue sales reps were told that only 1% would become addicted, so physicians had the impression that the risk was low, and if the pain was bad enough, then it was worth the risk - they could send them to rehab if needed - the benefits seemed to outweigh the risks. But the reality was that tens of thousands of unemployed manufacturing workers were becoming addicts; once their prescription ran out, many became heroin users or were purchasing street Oxy. I was working private practice and saw this firsthand. I recall one young person who intentionally broke his leg so that he could get another Oxy prescription. As if it wasn’t bad enough to lose your manufacturing or construction job, the opiate crisis turned places like small town Ohio into a living horror movie.
The stage was set for a candidate like Trump to win. Most Americans forgot about the Occupy Wall Street movement because our corporate media was not going to give that any attention. But the Billionaire owned media did blame the Democrats for the opiate and underemployment crisis. Democrats just couldn’t identify with the working class. Hillary Clinton could not have been more dismissive of Unions, factory workers, or a struggling middle class bearing too much of the tax burden. Trump made false promises, he ran as a Progressive, an outsider. He made fun of the ACA, calling it a joke. He said he would lower “your” taxes, not specifying that he meant just rich people. He said he’d bring back those good jobs. People wanted to hear that. Meanwhile, Hillary focused on how great it would be to have a female president, and she seemed entitled to it. She wasn’t likeable, she lacked passion, and she did not seem like she’d fight for anything except the status quo that Obama left behind.
The problem with the leadership of the Democratic party is that they take money from Billionaires and Corporations, but their votes come mostly from women, Blacks, and people of color. Democrat leaders are like that manager who is accountable the CEO and the employees. They have to placate the employees, but in the end, they will always be more loyal to the CEO because that’s who pays them.
This is why we need candidates who simply do not accept donations from Billionaires or Corporations, but instead on donations under $200 from everyday individuals. More importantly, and much more importantly, we need people to vote for these candidates. Sadly, most voters are passive and simplistic in their approach to politics. They hop on popularity bandwagons. They don’t do research on who their candidates work for - who pays them - who are they taking money from? That’s who they’re going to represent. I recall in 2020 or 2022, there was a Progressive Democrat running in Colorado, he was beating out the DNC backed candidate. Steny Hoyer called him and told him to drop out. Or just last week, when AOC ran for chairperson of the oversight committee and Nancy Pelosi opposed it, favoring another old White man with throat cancer who will toe the line for the status quo.
The DNC is run by Billionaires. The RNC is run by Billionaires. There is some difference - the Billionaires that run the DNC are a bit more liberal, for example, they do believe in women’s rights, gay rights - they’re socially liberal. They also believe in some government regulation, and welfare programs, social security, Medicaid and Medicare. The RNC Billionaires are simple fascists, they want Corporations to own everything, they want to end Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. They are racist and sexist. They already appointed all White males to head every committee in Congress. They will have 14 Billionaires running the Cabinet, and the crazy DOGE office, the head of which just endorsed Germany’s Neo Nazi party.
The DNC needs to change, otherwise, it will become irrelevant. Kamala Harris showed us the real face of the DNC when she ran one of the worst Democratic campaigns in US History, worse than Hillary’s in 2016. She spent three months pandering to Republicans with Liz Cheney and Billionaire Mark Cuban. She offered no help to the working class or middle class. She focused on abortion, not economics. It was a train wreck. Americans were shocked at the loss, but maybe we’re all out of touch with how bad things are for the working class and how desperate they are for help. Wealth inequality is worse today than it was in 1929, because people who had it have lost it.
The DNC does not fight because they are comfortable with the status quo. It is recipe for failure at the ballot box. We need more Progressive Candidates. We need voters to do their job and vote for Progressives even though they are constantly villainized by the media as crazy idealists. Yet so many things we enjoy today were brought to us by Progressives:
the 40 hour work week with weekends off
child labor laws
minimum wage
equal pay laws
unemployment insurance
worker’s compensation and OSHA
public health departments
Medicare
Medicaid
Social Security
Food Stamps, WIC
School lunch programs
Lobbying reporting laws
Campaign finance reform
Progressive taxation
Gay marriage rights
Planned parenthood
Public Radio
Head Start
National Labor Relations Board
When you hear that Progressives are too liberal, just remember that President Eisenhower was a military general and Republican president who greatly expanded Social Security, enacted the Federal Aid Highway Act, sent the National Guard to Arkansas to help with desegregation, and signed a Civil Rights act into law, supported progressive taxation, funded STEM education, expanded the National Parks program, enacted the Food for Peace program, and increased regulation of utilities and transportation. President Eisenhower was that last true Republican president; all those since have simply represented the Billionaire class, regardless of their rhetoric.
Progressives want you to have access to affordable healthcare, and a system of justice that is not based on your ability to pay. Progressives want an economic system and a tax system that does not favor Billionaires or Monopolies. Progressives want smart regulation where our water, air, and food is safe and clean. Progressives do not want our public assets privatized for the benefit of Billionaires.
Progressives are for people over profit.
You can find detailed information about campaign contributions to your congressional representative, including the total amounts raised and the donors, from several reliable and publicly accessible resources. These platforms track campaign finance data and provide transparency about who is funding political campaigns:
1. Federal Election Commission (FEC)
Website: www.fec.gov
The FEC is the official government agency that oversees campaign finance for federal elections.
How to Use:
Go to the FEC's website and select "Search Campaign Finance Data."
Enter your congressperson's name in the search bar.
Explore individual contributions, PAC contributions, and expenditures.
Advantages:
Comprehensive and official data.
Direct access to filings and reports submitted by candidates.
2. OpenSecrets (Center for Responsive Politics)
Website: www.opensecrets.org
OpenSecrets provides user-friendly access to campaign finance data, including top contributors, industries donating, and lobbying expenditures.
How to Use:
Visit OpenSecrets and use the "Politicians & Elections" search bar.
Type your congressperson’s name to view their profile.
Look at their fundraising history, top contributors, and PAC support.
Advantages:
Easy to navigate.
Includes breakdowns by industry and donor type.
Offers additional context, such as lobbying ties and "dark money" influence.
3. FollowTheMoney.org (National Institute on Money in Politics)
Website: www.followthemoney.org
This platform focuses on state-level and federal campaign finance data, offering detailed donation records.
How to Use:
Search for your congressperson by name.
View contributions by individual donors, corporations, and industries.
Advantages:
Includes state-level data that may not appear in FEC filings.
Interactive tools for analyzing contributions.
4. ProPublica’s Represent
Website: projects.propublica.org/represent
ProPublica’s "Represent" tool provides an overview of your representative’s voting record, funding sources, and key contributors.
How to Use:
Enter your congressperson’s name or zip code.
Explore campaign funding alongside voting records for added context.
Advantages:
Combines campaign finance data with voting history.
Offers a clear view of potential influences on policy decisions.
5. State-Level Campaign Finance Sites
Some state election offices maintain their own databases of campaign contributions for federal and state-level representatives.
Example: California’s Cal-Access system for California representatives.
Tips for Using These Resources:
Use filters for specific years (e.g., election cycles) to find the most relevant data.
Look at both individual contributions and PAC contributions for a full picture.
Check "independent expenditures" to see if outside groups are spending money on your representative's behalf.
By combining these tools, you can gain a thorough understanding of who is funding your congressperson and how those contributions may align with their policy decisions.