this post was submitted on 16 Nov 2024
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Summary

Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign failed to connect with low-income workers due to a perceived lack of listening, according to AFL-CIO, the largest federation of labor unions in the US.

While union members largely supported Harris, many low-income voters backed Trump, swayed by his messaging on economic insecurity.

Despite Biden’s pro-labor policies, including infrastructure investments, the AFL-CIO now faces challenges under a likely Trump presidency.

AFL-CIO emphasized labor unions’ resilience and commitment to fighting rollbacks while advancing organizing efforts.

With public approval for unions at a near 60-year high, the labor movement plans both defensive and offensive strategies to protect workers.

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[–] Yondoza@sh.itjust.works 21 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

The campaign connected just fine with the college educated working class. It didn't connect with the highschool or less education working class. IMO it seems the big party divide today is higher education.

Working class should refer to people whose income is primarily derived from selling their labor vs the value of their assets.

We need to start using the term working class correctly.

[–] jatone@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 4 hours ago

certainly didn't connect with me and my social circle and we're all college educated working class. maybe you're confusing people who voted for her as people who thought she was worth voting for?

[–] Natanael@slrpnk.net 84 points 13 hours ago (17 children)

"we have a concrete plan for helping you" - crickets

"my plans will hurt you but I'm pretending otherwise" - "what a brilliant businessman!"

[–] verdantbanana@lemmy.world 25 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (3 children)

her plan involved helping people get a home loan with no plans to raise the minimum wage

what did Harris say she was going to bring to table that would attract any voters other than high middle and above class?

[–] Eatspancakes84@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago

She backed a plan to raise the minimum wage to 15 dollars. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/kamala-harris-says-us-must-raise-federal-minimum-wage-2024-10-21/

The much bigger issue I see is that policy choices are simply not communicated by the media. Half of this discussion complains about Kamala not adopting policies that were in fact in her platform. Only stories about the horse race and Trump outrage make the news (even in this community which is supposed to focus on policies). How can you get your message across in such a media environment?

[–] jatone@lemmy.dbzer0.com 27 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

That home loan was fucking worthless to boot. You know what would save Americans money? Directly building homes and selling them at cost.

[–] Eatspancakes84@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago

Building new homes was part of the campaign plan right?

[–] Natanael@slrpnk.net 5 points 10 hours ago

Support for unions, getting inflation down, etc

[–] BMTea@lemmy.world 9 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago) (4 children)

"We have a concrete plan to help you! For example, higher federal minimum wage!"

"Okay, take my vote!

Four years later

"You've been in office for four years. Where is the minimum wage hike?"

"Turns out we can't actually do it unless we have a supermajority of government. And then it's still questionable if we will. Vote for us some more in your state and presidency. Hope that others in other states do too. Also stop bitching, we are moral and the other people are fascists, do not fail us, you must defend women and minorities by keeping us in power etc etc."

"I had more money under Trump, fuck off."

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[–] RagingNerdoholic@lemmy.ca 16 points 12 hours ago (5 children)

Did she, though? All I remember is something about a "new small business" subsidy fund, which is... good, I suppose, but didn't address any of the probkems the average American is facing.

Okay, there was also the suggestion of Medicare for all, which would put a dent in things, but I only heard it casually mentioned once and it sounded like something she was "open to discussing," not a core part of her platform.

Aside from that, there was nothing directly addressing the core daily problems the majority of people are experiencing, like overpriced living expenses and underpaid wages.

[–] jatone@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago) (1 children)

The small business loan was a joke if you look at the details. First off most people dont want to start a business its a lot of hard fucking work with a lot of risk. It also had a bunch of means tests involved. Which would make it a disaster to implement and a disaster to get.

[–] RagingNerdoholic@lemmy.ca 5 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

Exactly. That's the "not addressing the actual problems" part. It's a sounds-good, feels-good, low impact, high visibility token effort. Throw out a little morsel for the general public that doesn't really help, but critically, doesn't impact profits for the wealthy class.

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[–] Nougat@fedia.io 31 points 11 hours ago (14 children)

You know what you call someone who votes for fascism? A fascist.

How do you appeal to fascists without being more fascist than the alternative?

America is comprised of stupider, shittier people than was thought.

[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 0 points 4 hours ago

Perfect is the enemy of better.

This has been explained so many times.

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[–] newthrowaway20@lemmy.world 50 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago) (5 children)

Trump told people they were struggling and only he could fix it.

Kamala told people the economy was rebounding and they were gonna create more opportunities for the middle class.

People didn't give a shit about what opportunities they were given. They also didn't give a shit about a rebounding economy because none of them were feeling things getting better. Media kept saying real wages beat inflation finally. Only after 3 years of insane inflation where wages in no way kept up.

So sure, the economy is better than it was, and better than the rest of the world. But the shock happened and nothing was done to actually help the people that were suffering. Instead they were told by Democrats that 'it could have been worse! And it will be worse under Trump' basically admitting they weren't really interested in helping.

So Trump, despite him not actually caring or really planning to do anything about it, stayed on message with something that resonated to voters. While Kamala assumed people wanted to start businesses? People can't afford food but sure, let's talk about how they have some opportunity to open a mom and pop shop across from Walmart.

[–] Makeitstop@lemmy.world 5 points 8 hours ago

I wouldn’t say Trump stayed on message, but he included it enough in the insane rambling.

The problem is that Harris was from the incumbent party and administration at a time of deep dissatisfaction with the economy. That's an extremely difficult position to be in, and it's made all the worse for her because as VP she gets all the blame by association but can't really do much personally to adjust policy. She's handcuffed to the status quo at a time when the vast majority want change.

Biden and Harris both chose to try to defend the status quo and spin things as more positive. This waa a mistake. I don't know if they would have won by acknowledging the problems and portraying this as them leading through a time of crisis, and how they have plans to get us through, but it probably would have had a much better chance.

It also didn't help that most of the things they did to address the economic woes were either indirect or only narrowly targeted (or canceled out by courts). News that a factory will eventually open and add jobs in one area doesn't alleviate the concerns of the vast majority of voters, nor does processing student loan forgiveness for a few thousand people at a time under very specific programs. These things are good, but they don't make most people feel better the way a more broadly applicable benefit would.

[–] TransplantedSconie@lemm.ee 47 points 12 hours ago (7 children)

She literally said, "I will go after price gouging," which is 100% the reason prices are so high, but instead, the media focused you on starting a business. The whole price gouging thing was absent from every news article. The only time you heard it was when she spoke live. Absolutely wild.

[–] ryathal@sh.itjust.works 12 points 11 hours ago (2 children)

This message fell flat. She's the vice president, the message should have been I'm working with the AG now to investigate price to gouging, and will continue that when elected. Also the end result is just the government getting a small settlement check, that means fuck all to people.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago) (1 children)

Do... You know what the Vice President does? And she should have done all of this while she was campaigning?

[–] ryathal@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 hours ago

If the vice president can't be the figurehead of a taskforce in a friendly administration for an important campaign issue, they aren't qualified to be president.

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[–] Diva@lemmy.ml 14 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

One of the frustrations was that they would be talking about how the economy was doing great... if you were a homeowner. The inflation was also in things like rent which they have no intent on really addressing, but disproportionately gets omitted from broader stats regarding inflation despite people getting $500+ rent increases shortly after the end of the COVID eviction protections.

[–] Eatspancakes84@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Can you give an example of Kamala saying that? I know Biden did, but I am pretty sure the campaign attempted to avoid this messaging.

[–] Diva@lemmy.ml 1 points 23 minutes ago

I don't have a citation for you of Kamala saying exactly that- but yeah that was more a Biden line.

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[–] TransplantedSconie@lemm.ee 39 points 12 hours ago

This loss brought to you by Corporate Media. We sanewash the insane bullshit and manipulate you into anything.

https://youtu.be/DnPmg0R1M04

[–] droporain@lemmynsfw.com 1 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Harris was a real candidate as much as the Tyson Paul fight was legit. Just another scam for the rich to grift.

[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 1 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Assertion unsupported by any facts.

[–] droporain@lemmynsfw.com 2 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Enjoy your reality homie get used to losing elections.

[–] BaroqueInMind@lemmy.one 0 points 1 hour ago

I have voted blue my entire godamned life, and said something ableist and derogatory against Republicans here and got shit on. These morons here don't understand that they can't keep doing this any more and we will never winan election again in our lifetimes unless a drastic culture change happens.

Woke is dead; money talks. This is what everyone thinks now, and if you don't believe me look at how badly we lost with voters to Republicans in every single aspect of government (entire fucking Congress from House to Senate, entire fucking Supreme Court, entire swaths of Blue Wall states fucking flipped, entire Executive Branch, etc.)

Wake the fuck up. Democratic Party needs to aggressively change and you should expect to be left behind.

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