Theda Skocpol, Victor S. Thomas Professor of Government and Sociology and formerly Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, who offers Why Hillary Clinton Is the Strongest Equality Candidate, put up at Huffington Post several days ago.
From her first paragraph:
Hillary offers effective ways to reduce the growing economic gaps that matter most to lower and middle income families - and she has also attracted the broadest support from working Americans of modest means.
She notes that Trump voters seem to have an average income of $72,000, well over the national median of $56,000. She notes
Although Trump voters express economic anxiety, they are solidly middle-income whites angry about immigration and racial and generational changes. Above all, they hate Barack Obama and appreciate that Trump led the “birther” campaign questioning his legitimacy.
In other words, they match the model of the Tea Party voter she studied in some previous work. And she offers lots of criticism for what passes for policy proposals for Trump.
What then about our side of the battle?
While Skocpol acknowledges the appeal of Bernie’s core message, she notes
the Sanders agenda does little to address the country’s other growing economic gap - between the top 20% and everyone else. Fortunes are sharply diverging between the top fifth of Americans, mostly dual-income families led by two highly educated professionals or managers, versus everyone else, the bottom four-fifths of middle and lower income single and dual parent families trying to raise children with stagnant incomes, dwindling social benefits, and often living in disorderly communities where jobs and good schools, even safe drinking water, are not to be found.
She is not fond of what he proposes, arguing that many of his proposal will actually exacerbate the divide between the top 20% and everyone else. She notes in particular that
Independent studies show that Bernie’s health plan would raise taxes and reduce health insurance benefits for many who now get Medicaid, Medicare, or employer health benefits; and more new benefits would go to the top fifth of households than to the bottom fifth.
and adds that his college plan would require tax dollars be spent on upper and middle class families that can afford at least some of the costs of college. She also criticizes his carbon tax for failing to provide any kind of rebate or support for lower and middle income families likely to incur higher costs as a result of such a tax.
There is a lot more. She notes in particular the support of working class people, disproportionally people of color, for Clinton and her approach. She similarly notes the support of women, for whom I note that not only are they concerned about economic equality, they also seek to finally move in the direction of political equality.
Yes, Skocpol is a supporter of Clinton.
So am I.
I post this to provide yet another example of someone who thinks seriously about the implications of policy who finds Clinton to be the better choice.