One important element of the gubernatorial elections involves challenging the anti-government Tea Party ideology with a compelling vision of how working people can make government work for them. In many ways, each battle over minimum wage or the right-wing attacks on Obamacare is also a fight over the role of government in the economy. “This is about more than the minimum wage,” said American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten at a February press conference. “What kind of economy do we need in the richest country in the world to raise living standards?”

Polls indicate that a conversation about the economy could allow Democrats to gain traction, even with Republican voters. A February poll by Hart Research Associates of voters in Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin—five states with Republican governors from the 2010 Tea Party cohort—found that three-fifths are dissatisfied with the economy and feel they are falling behind financially. This discontent is especially pronounced among families earning $50,000 or less, including lower-income Republicans, and it is hurting governors’ approval ratings.

The Hart survey indicates that any candidate will gain significant support if he or she promises to crack down on wage theft, proposes paid family and sick leave, and requires that companies doing business with the state pay a “living wage” and not violate labor law. “Raising wages for Americans, for all workers, is the issue of our time and, hopefully, the issue of this election,” AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka told reporters at the federation’s February executive council meeting, adding that it would be the framework for political action by the federation.

Despite its well-publicized decline, the labor movement is probably the largest grassroots political organization in the country. The AFL-CIO can muster its 56 affiliated unions, plus its 3 million-member community affiliate, Working America, and its Super PAC, Workers’ Voice. Unions reach not only their 14.5 million members, but also those members’ families and neighbors—at work, at home, by mail, print and phone, online, and on the air. Unions both give money directly to candidates and, increasingly, run their own campaigns for candidates, picking messages they think are both effective in the short run and will contribute to labor’s long-term goals. Some local labor federations even offer classes to candidates.

Oh Hello, Face! Meet Palm. Because You're About To See A Really Uncomfy Chart About The Super-Rich.

Sometime around 50 years ago, something extreme started to change in the way rich people make and earn money in America. Actually, it was so extreme that we're still reeling from it now.



So what’s going on? Plenty. The very, VERY short story is this: Around 50 years ago, the super-rich started to gain the majority of their wealth less from salaries and more from the stock market ... all while having to follow fewer and fewer rules on their investments and profits.

See that income inequality jump in the '90s-'00s? Well, between 1992 and 2007, the average salary of the richest/wealthiest/most well-to-doiest 400 American people doubled, but the average capital gains (aka investments) haul increased 13x. Yes: thirteenfold increase. Lucky 13 (for the richest 400 people)! That’s 2x the salary and 13x the investment money. Sounds nice! Can I get that?

But here’s what’s crazy: As you can see from the chart above, there’s income inequality among the super-rich! The 99% of the super-rich are leagues below the 1% ... of the 1%. It’s like income inequality INCEPTION. Whoa.