Donald Trump’s appeal to white working-class voters is something Democrats are going to have to grapple with if he becomes the Republican presidential nominee. We know that intuitively, and now Working America, the community affiliate of the AFL-CIO, has provided a more in-depth look at the challenge. The organization sent canvassers to talk to 1,689 people in white working-class communities in Pennsylvania and Ohio. The good news is that 53 percent of the people Working America talked to are undecided when it comes to presidential candidates. But there’s plenty of bad news:
- Donald Trump was favored by more than a third of those who chose a candidate (38%), overwhelming all other Republican candidates (27% combined). Nearly the same number chose one of two Democratic candidates, Clinton (22%) or Sanders (12%).
- While most of Trump’s support comes from the staunch Republican base, 1 in 4 Democrats who chose a candidate showed a preference for Trump. [...]
- Party loyalty did not determine candidate choice as much as expected. Of Trump partisans, 58% said they would support him even if he runs as an independent. Additionally, a small number of Trump supporters were considering a Democrat if Trump doesn’t end up on the ballot.
- Good jobs/the economy, which is historically the priority concern of Working America constituents, remains the top issue among voters we talked with, at 27%, with homeland security and terrorism next (14%) and health care as the third most frequently cited priority (10%).
- Immigration was the top issue for only 5% of all those canvassed, but for Trump supporters it was the third–most-important issue (cited by 14%), after good jobs/the economy (29%) and homeland security and terrorism (21%). Voters for whom immigration is the priority issue are often Trump partisans (48%), but overall, those who prioritize immigration are a relatively small number.
It’s definitely not an “abandon all hope” situation—definitely not—but we have our work cut out for us. This unscientific survey also provides reminders that talking to people who disagree with us can be worthwhile:
For example, there was the man in Wadsworth who supported Trump because he wants to repeal Obamacare, yet struggled because he has multiple sclerosis as a preexisting condition; he did not make the connection between the two until his conversation with the canvasser.
Additionally, canvassers encountered people whose first choice was Trump and whose second choice was either Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton.
● Why nearly 1,200 nurses unionized last week.
● Speaking of nurses, and for the record, I am never going to be on board with suggesting that political spending by unions, reflecting the voices of tens or hundreds of thousands of workers, is equivalent to political spending by a few billionaires. And unfortunately, it’s not financially equivalent, either.
● The local plumbers union is helping install water filters in Flint, Michigan:
The local plumbers union started going door too door on Thursday, and since then they've helped about a thousand homes.
"It's a little easier for me just cause I've been around it," said Slatton. "I know what I'm doing, what I"m looking for."
He's just one of about 20 plumbers working on the project every day, visiting the elderly or disabled first.
● Missouri lawmakers get into fist fight over anti-union law. I guess if you’re going to throw punches over anything …
● The long-term numbers on union membership remain very bad, but what passes for good news is that the union membership rate held steady in 2015.
● The Center for American Progress is the latest progressive organization to unionize.
● Remember how Mitt Romney used to brag about Staples as one of his big job-creator credentials? Yeah, well, Staples is laying off hundreds of employees.
● UNITE HERE hasn’t endorsed yet nationally, but its New England locals endorsed Bernie Sanders late last week.
Education
● A court case is challenging Massachusetts’ cap on charter school numbers. Now the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice and the New England Area Conference of the NAACP are weighing in against that suit:
“It is critical that the voices of students in traditional public schools be heard in this lawsuit,” saidMatthew Cregor, Education Project Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice and one of the lead attorneys for the student intervenors. “Traditional public school students – particularly those who are underserved by charter schools – suffer immense harm as more and more funds are diverted to charter schools.” He noted that earlier this year, Boston Public Schools announced that it expects to cut $50 million from its 2016-17 school year budget, citing shifts in enrollment as one of the key reasons for the shortfall. [...]
“The NAACP is firmly committed to high quality, free, public schools for all,” said Juan Cofield, President of the New England Area Conference of the NAACP. “All available dollars for education should be used to improve public schools and close the education gap. Public policy which siphons funds from traditional public schools and expands a dual education system is not a constructive solution, and it will lead to the erosion of traditional public schools.” He noted that many charter schools are not welcoming environments for students of color, citing evidence of charter schools that suspend Black students at far higher rates than traditional public schools.
● Want to save education dollars on administrative expenses? Charter schools aren't the way.