Working class people matter! This is
particularly as it relates to White working class people to hear the
mainstream media tell it. After his unexpected largely unexpected
victory in November 2016 over heavily favored rival, Hillary Clinton,
(documentary film maker, Michael Moore, historian Alan Licthman and a
few others predicted his win) current commander-in-chief Donald
Trump's triumph was viewed by many political bloggers, columnist,
television pundits and others who reside outside the often frantic
and frenzied sphere of political and journalistic circles as the
result of White working class anger, fear and resentment.
While there was/is undoubtedly some
kernel (a small one) of truth in such assumptions, the fact is
working class people of all races were frustrated , angry and filled
with a deeply intense state of anxiety about the direction that our
nation was heading and still are. Hearing, reading and viewing
endless reams of commentary and hours of supposedly knowledgeable and
“spot on” pontificating from talk radio heads and network
panelists, one could have easily been convinced that such despair and
uncertainty was totally relegated to lower income White people.
Indeed, over the past few years,
there has been no shortage of case studies, op-ed pieces, town halls,
special reports and other focusing the disenchantment of the White
working class and democratic party's failure to address the needs of
this sizable segment of disaffected voters. The immense popularity of
best selling author and venture capitalist, J.D Vance's Hillbilly
Elegy:A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis .and
investigative journalist Beth Macy's, Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors
and the Drug Companies That Addicted America furthered
contributed to the microscopic, laser focused attention given to the
White working class.
Admittedly once the initial shock
had settled as to what happened that fateful Tuesday night in 2016,
it was somewhat amusing (in an admittedly perverse manner) to witness
frantically engaged in fierce Wednesday, Thursday and Friday morning,
afternoon and evening quarterbacking. Various scenarios and theories
were bandied about as to how such an outcome could have possibly
occurred. The level of head scratching that occurred was notable to
put it mildly.
Truth be told, no one can deny that
many lower income and poor White people (those that voted) pulled the
level for Donald Trump. However, many of them voted in considerable
numbers for Hillary Clinton as well. In fact, some of Donald Trump's
strongest support came from voters making $75,000. or more per year.
Thus, the political scenario was more complex than has been described
by many who are supposedly politically in the know.
For those lower middle class and
working class voters who pulled the level for the businessman,
reality television personality and now, president, factors such as
economic anxiety, racism, sexism, xenophobia and other vices did
indeed play a part in their decisions. To be blunt and keep it real,
the Trump campaign engaged in a blatantly racist, sexist, xenophobic
divisive campaign. Indeed, Trump and his sinister minions
strategically and mercilessly preyed upon and exploited the fears of
White voters who were resentful of immigration, affirmative action
(despite the fact that White people and White women) are the biggest
beneficiary of the policy, multiculturalism, gay marriage and other
issues that have frequently been seen as anathema to a number of (not
all) members who reside within this voting demographic
These were/are the citizens who
invested their hopes in Trump when he stated that he would make
“America great again.” These were/are the socially and
culturally conservative voters who
longed for the “days” when heterosexual, able-bodied
White men ruled. Where Latino/a and other dark-skinned, non-White
immigrants were largely non-existent. A nation where Blacks and, in
some cases, Jews, were occasionally seen, certainly not heard from,
and deprived of any sense of dignity, fairness and equality. Women
were largely relegated to second-class status, were of no competition
in the workplace, had to often quietly overlook or turn a blind eye
to infidelity or spousal abuse and were largely relegated to objects
of sexual objectification. Gays and lesbians were seen as less than
human, regarded as deviants, perverts and unworthy of any form of
respect. Disabled people were seen as quasi-human, burdensome and
semi-tragic figures. Yes, for a sizable percentage of this segment of
American society, these were supposedly indeed the “good ol’
days.
The
problem with such an analysis is that, such a reality never existed
for a large number of Whites. Period., in particular, the segment of
disaffected Whites that are following and supporting Trump. Like
their parents and grandparents of mid-20th century America, many of
these White men and women were products of blue-collar families and
communities that were subjected to economic deprivation and
challenges, public schools that were sub-par or adequate at best,
class snobbery from their more upscale White brethren, lower life
expectancy, etc. It short, as J.D. Vance, Beth Macy and others have
argued, these largely economically disaffected White folks had /have
a lot more in common with their Black and Hispanic cohorts than they
realized.
Historically speaking, many of these
marginalized White voters have either failed or stubbornly refuse to
acknowledge this reality.
Rather, on the contrary, these
are the men and women (mostly men) who have largely bought into the
arrogant, brash, and largely misguided illusion that if they worked
hard enough, were smart enough, good at what they did, attractive
enough, married a respectable spouse, conscientiously socialized in
the correct social circles, harbored condescension, disdain and/or
contempt toward the right people (e.g., poor people, radical women,
gays and lesbians, many minority groups, the disabled, etc.) that
they could rapidly ascend up the social climbing ladder and head ever
onward toward pursuit of the American dream. The unconscious
embracing of White privilege.
Rather,
many people of this age and racial demographic have come to
realization that the ladder has been pulled out from under them.
Forces such as global outsourcing, neo-liberalism, unchecked
globalization and other factors (conditions thrusted upon them by
other Whites) have contributed to their unenviable predicament. Thus,
they see no light at the end of a very dark and desolate looking
tunnel.
These
are the Whites, particularly those who are lower income, who have
suffered drastic levels of economic and emotional instability and
dysfunction. In a society that often equates whiteness with power and
success, falling short and being unable to partake in such
achievements undoubtedly magnifies the psychological pain and
resentment of many members of this social demographic. Without
sounding too much like blaming the victim, the fact is that from a
psychological standpoint, some degree some of these men and women
have contributed to their own predicament due to their continuing
decision to whistle in the dark coupled with their rampant denial.
Perhaps this will change.
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