General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: It would be nice if the centrists in this party did some introspection, too. [View all]forjusticethunders
(1,151 posts)Basically, a lot of the working class Dem base pretty much abandoned the party and economic justice with it because the Dems started to fight for social justice more. After all, LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act knowing it would make the South unwinnable for generations, and sure enough, Dems lost 4/5 elections (though maybe no Vietnam would have helped, also Nixon cheated). Basically the money, funding and organization had to be replaced, and thus you get middle class and upper class professionals who are more progressive socially but centrist economically, especially when pushes to the left got punished by voters (see Bill's first 2 years versus his later 6). We're now getting to a point where the strength of the minority working class is starting to replace that lost strength, but politics tends to be a lagging indicator, thus Obama's caution and incrementalism (never mind the unprecedented obstructionism based on racism).