"We are listening now": Democrats' path forward leads back to the economy

[marmar]

"We are listening now": Democrats' path forward leads back to the economy
Supporting bipartisan legislation like RSAA gives Democrats the chance to show Americans the party hears them

By Adrienne Elrod
was senior spokesperson for the Kamala Harris presidential campaign
Published February 22, 2025 7:19AM (EST)


(Salon) As Democrats look ahead to rebuilding and focus on elections in 2026 and 2028, party leadership has an urgent responsibility to regain footing with critical constituencies like working class voters and, in some cases, relearn how to communicate with critical voting blocs. On this score, the economy stands out.

....(snip)....

Regaining economic credibility with voters will require addressing the deep insecurities felt by a large share of workers and families. Democrats should start by fighting to give them access to the tools they need to build wealth and achieve financial stability and security.

Consider retirement savings, which are the number one source of wealth for American households. According to the Federal Reserve, over one-quarter of non-retired adults have zero saved for retirement. This is in large part because more than 50 million Americans – many of whom are lower and middle income -– lack access to employer-sponsored retirement plans.

....(snip)....

Of course, Democrats have long been champions of social safety net programs like Social Security and shouldn’t give an inch in fighting to preserve the future of those vital programs. But Democrats must also work to take the pressure off the safety net by expanding access to the wealth-building tools and incentives that upper-income Americans have long taken for granted. ....................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2025/02/22/we-are-listening-now-democrats-path-forward-leads-back-to-the-economy/

[drray23]

1. I think the economy is a red herring

It is the convenient excuse advanced by people who voted for Trump. This occurred because of disinformation, apathy or plain hypocrisy.

We can see it developing in real time right now.

The inflation is rising, the informal benchmark "price of eggs" is no longer talked about in the media, especially right-wing media. Instead, the conversation has shifted to the so-called waste in government and how Trump and Musk are combating it when in reality, they are destroying the federal infrastructure while securing a hold on the all the institutions to guarantee they won't be unseated.

If our message is to discuss all the wonderful policies, we will institute to help the economy we will lose again. I believe we should instead focus on combating disinformation, building up a presence on social media where most of the information circulates and get away from the old way of campaigning which consisted in running ads on network TV, this is no longer how you spread the message.

Pointing out the MAGA attacks on social security, Medicare and all the social safety net is definitely something we should do but it goes hand to hand with developing the means to push the message.

[LuvLoogie]

3. This.

The TikTok ban was a classic dupe that the Dems fell for. And now we're being hacked, not by the Chinese, but by Russian puppets.

[dutch777]

2. While retirement savings programs are great, tough to contribute for the 35% of US households living paycheck...

...to paycheck. True pension programs are getting rarer and rarer with 401k's and similar the other option but where you may only get employer match based on your ability to contribute.

[bucolic_frolic]

4. Lots of problems with that

Dems have modest ties to Wall Street. Mostly antagonistic. Wall Street wants Social Security funds for investment.

Working people lack experience with investments. FINRA ratings, SEC oversight are modest help.

Tax credits for new businesses are not understood by working class people. Mostly such initiatives are gobbled up by $$$ Republican corporate wives with a Yoga or trendy retail store in small towns. The husband earns the bread, the wife is a tax write-off. We feed them but do little for the poor working people.

Would we be better off creating a giant All-USA Workers Annuity Sovereign Wealth Fund that pays like Norway, or Alaska's Oil Fund? (Forgive my lack of understanding, Norway. I use concepts, not expertise.)

If we would reward people and show them the way there would be some improvement. And we could focus on problems like pollution and climate change instead of class warfare. Would Republicans cooperate? I doubt it. They want theirs and yours. If you accumulate it, they want it. Greed is still the bottom line.

[hedda_foil]

5. Clueless (not you, marmar!) Let's give working class Americans access to retirement accounts.

Sure, when a majority of Americans can't afford an extra $400 expense. A retirement account from their poorly paying job is going to fix things right up. You betcha!

That's the totally clueless, neoliberal privatization approach that has lost us the working class.

[Keepthesoulalive]

6. The working class voted their racism

Trump has never done anything for anyone but himself. He’s busting unions and firing people, deporting the people that pick our fruits and veggies. The republicans have never done anything for the working class. They have always played identity politics and it has been successful. America has to learn to stop hating on folks . If we start to welcome and care for others we can turn this country around and everyone will prosper. If we let the hate bird keep crapping on the Statute of Liberty we won’t have a future.

[somsai]

7. Adrienne Elrod and people like her are the problem

Consider someone working for $20 an hour. Barely above poverty for a family of four. Not enough to pay for an apartment, a used car, food, and utilities, assuming they can get Medicaid.

Now imagine that guy coming to work and finding out he had been laid off because everyone is laid off, all the subcontractors. They have an entirely new set of subs coming in at 2/3 the price. They found thousands of guys willing to work for less.

That's what Harris did, 10.2 million, most of whom were new low wage workers. Adrienne Elrod was there the whole time, "communicating" how great things are. And now Adrienne Elrod says it's time to turn over a new leaf and win back those working class people she just screwed over.

It's time to tax the living bejesus out of people like Adrienne Elrod. Let her find a different hobby. Go back to being the Country Club Republican she used to be.