A week before the election, my father visited me and shared his gut feeling that former President Donald Trump could win. He expressed his intention to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris but questioned their approach to addressing the economy. He highlighted the struggles of many people who could no longer afford housing and emphasized the need for honesty about economic issues. Moving away from Harris, he expressed frustration about feeling criticized for using the wrong words and not wanting to offend anyone. Despite being raised Mennonite and socially conservative, my father remained open-minded and accepting, even when his cousins came out as gay in the 1980s.
At 71 years old, my father still worked full time at a local farmers’ market, having never attended college. He felt that Trump resonated with people like him who felt talked down to by cultural elites associated with the Democratic Party. Despite voting against Trump three times in Pennsylvania, my father was dissatisfied with the Democratic nominees and the party’s leadership, feeling they did not care about working-class individuals like him.
The text goes on to discuss the failures of the Democratic Party to prioritize working-class voters and the Republican Party’s attempts to appeal to this demographic. It highlights Trump’s ability to tap into popular discontent by targeting cultural elites rather than economic power. The text argues that Democrats need to name and confront powerful culprits like Wall Street and Big Tech to resonate with working-class voters effectively.
Overall, the text emphasizes the importance of addressing the real grievances of working-class voters and calling out those responsible for economic inequality. It critiques the Democratic Party for failing to do so effectively and suggests that a shift in narrative and focus is necessary to win over this crucial demographic.