Socialism Isn't the Way to Win the Working Class
Republicans and Democrats can woo blue-collar workers with initiatives for unions and national broadband.
Blue-collar workers could be one of the big beneficiaries of the 2020 election.
Photographer: Bloomberg/BloombergThe 2020 election might provide a golden opportunity for the working class -- Americans without a four-year college degree who tend to work in blue-collar and service industries such as construction and retail. Though partisan control of Congress and the presidency will keep the government divided, there’s a possibility that initiatives like pro-union policies and infrastructure spending might reach a bipartisan consensus.
Encouraged by their gains among Hispanic voters and their continued strength among Americans without a college degree, Republicans are eager to rebrand themselves as, in the words of Senator Marco Rubio, “a multiethnic, multiracial, working-class coalition.” Meanwhile, establishment Democrats, including President-elect Joe Biden, will need to fend off a vigorous challenge from a socialist wing of the party that’s intent on displacing them. That will probably require economically focused policies.