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Politics 2020 | ||
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Burgess COMMENTARY Peter Burgess | ||
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This isn’t 1980’: Filmmaker Michael Moore reminds Democratic leaders who their base really is
Image via MSNBC / Screengrab.
The contrasts between the Democratic Party’s liberals and progressives and its centrists were evident during this week’s Democratic presidential debates in Detroit, with former Vice President Joe Biden representing the center on Wednesday night and Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren unapologetically fighting for the ideas of the left on Tuesday. Many pundits have insisted that Democrats risk alienating white working class voters if they are too left-of-center, but liberal/progressive filmmaker and activist Michael Moore vehemently disagreed when he spoke to MSNBC’s Brian Williams following Wednesday night’s debate. “I think a lot of Democrats don’t understand — a lot of people who are in the leadership don’t understand: this isn’t 1980,” Moore told Williams. And he added that Democrats will be making a huge mistake in the 2020 election if they forget about their base, which isn’t dominated by older working class white males. “The majority of the working class in this country are women,” Moore stressed. “When you say working class, you’re talking about young people, 18 to 35. They make the least amount of money. When you talk about the working class, you’re talking about people of color; they make the least amount of money. That’s who the working class is.” “But somehow,” Moore continued, “when we have these discussions on these shows, we talk about, ‘Well, we’ve gotta not get too far to the left here or be too progressive because we’ll lose that white working class vote.’ Well, I don’t know, maybe that was true 30 or 40 years ago. But it’s not true (now). It’s not the America we live in.” Most working class whites who voted for President Donald Trump in 2016, Moore warned, won’t be voting Democratic in 2020 either. “News alert: they’re not coming,” Moore asserted. “Some of them will come. Trump got 8 million people who voted for Barack Obama, either once or twice. So there’s a chance: maybe a million of them might come back.” Moore went on to say that “the majority of Americans take the liberal/progressive position” on issues ranging from criminal justice reform to raising the national minimum wage — and they “will come out to vote for the candidate that’s going to side with them.” Obsessing over “the white male vote,” Moore stressed, is a losing proposition for Democrats because Jimmy Carter in 1976, Bill Clinton in 1992 and Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 were victorious even though they “lost the white male vote.” “Let’s get out the Democratic base of women, young people and people of color,” Moore told Williams. “And for the one-third of the white guys who voted for Hillary last time, good on you. Come on back, and bring a couple of your buddies who mistakenly voted for Trump.” Michael Moore On How To Defeat Trump (Hint: It's Not Being Moderate) | MSNBC 62,808 views MSNBC Published on Jul 31, 2019 Michael Moore joins MSNBC to rebutt the recent punditry that on the way to win the White House in 2020. He argues that the 'working class' definition, as moderates discuss it, is flawed, and that the candidate needs to inspire young people, women, and people of color. » Subscribe to MSNBC: http://on.msnbc.com/SubscribeTomsnbc MSNBC delivers breaking news, in-depth analysis of politics headlines, as well as commentary and informed perspectives. Find video clips and segments from The Rachel Maddow Show, Morning Joe, Meet the Press Daily, The Beat with Ari Melber, Deadline: White House with Nicolle Wallace, Hardball, All In, Last Word, 11th Hour, and more. Connect with MSNBC Online Visit msnbc.com: http://on.msnbc.com/Readmsnbc Subscribe to MSNBC Newsletter: http://MSNBC.com/NewslettersYouTube Find MSNBC on Facebook: http://on.msnbc.com/Likemsnbc Follow MSNBC on Twitter: http://on.msnbc.com/Followmsnbc Follow MSNBC on Instagram: http://on.msnbc.com/Instamsnbc Michael Moore On How To Defeat Trump (Hint: It's Not Being Moderate) | MSNBC Category News & Politics 798 Comments Peter Burgess Add a public comment... Beach Waves Beach Waves 11 hours ago Yes Micheal you got it! 149 Susan Susan 8 hours ago Yes. We need the votes for 2020, not the votes of 1980. It’s a new world. Let’s adapt. 123 Gooner N4 6 hours ago Mr Moore.. you just gave the world some insight and hope in plain and simple terms. Thank you. 53 Victor Ortiz 6 hours ago I'm not a Moore fan, but he's 100% correct here. Have you looked around lately? Younger people and women are the majority of workers. 72 Piddeaux 6 hours ago Moore has the pulse of the people better than anybody I've heard from. Listen. Learn. I wish I could say that to the candidates. 111 Darien Pough 6 hours ago I appreciate this clip. This perspective is something you don’t here on most news outlets. 34 Eric Judkins-van buren 12 hours ago Speak man, you hit it on the nose!!!!! 79 speks36 11 hours ago Moore is right in terms of who the Democrats should appeal to but it will be ignored because the leadership in the party think they know better. That working class white voter the Dems try cater to, most don't even recognize their right to exist as Americans. Losing can become a habit if you don't learn from your mistakes. 147 GramaJ Catherder 12 hours ago Michael Moore is correct. Trump's white good ol boy base is not who the Dems need to cater to. 196 Toni Brooks 12 hours ago Finally they have someone that makes sense! Thank you Michael Moore. Educate the media and congress! 190 ghetso girl 12 hours ago The debate stage looks like the Republican stage in 2015. 28 Michael Swärdh 9 hours ago Michael Moore make sense, he predicted the result 2016 and was 100% correct. 49 Laurette LaLiberte 5 hours ago Thank you Michael.. Tired of trying to explain this. 27 edward John 6 hours ago (edited) I can hear urgency along with a touch of panic and a hint of exasperation in Michael Moore's voice and it sounds ominous but what's scaring me is the resignation ... 29 Michael B 11 hours ago Moore is 100% correct; hope the Dems listen to him... 155 Judy 6 hours ago He is right forget trump supporters they are lost already get the other 70% on our side.....we must win to survive. 16 Sahar Mustafa 12 hours ago listen to moore .. he IS RIGHT 144 bikefixer 4 hours ago Terrific endorsement of Bernie Sanders. The only thing he left off of his wish list is Medicare for All. 10 divingchicago 11 hours ago thanks michael, you're rt on target! 38 V G 7 hours ago (edited) Moore always has been on the right side of the history. People thought don't like hearing truth. 15
Written by Alex Henderson
| August 1, 2019 The text being discussed is available at | https://www.alternet.org/2019/08/this-isnt-1980-filmmaker-michael-moore-reminds-democratic-leaders-who-their-base-really-is/ and |