Thread: let’s talk about this flippant talking point from centrist Dems, and why it’s deeply unserious... 
1) nobody on the left said the election of a literal Nazi was because of ‘economic anxiety’, nobody. It’s a straw man & cheap point...
2) many people (including me) did - and do - in fact discuss the role of economic populism in contributing to Trump’s victory. That’s not to say he *only* won because of ‘economic anxiety’, it’s to say it was 1 of many factors, and an important one...
3) when the Dem candidate supported NAFTA, and virtually every disastrous trade deal that obliterated the working class in the rust belt, and the Republican candidate hammered that on the campaign trail, it’d be disingenuous *not* to discuss it as a major factor in the election..
4) in fact, it was a tiny number of people in the rust belt that swung the election to Trump. Many of these people are 2x Obama voters who flipped to Trump over Hillary. Research has indicated they’d gladly vote for populist Dems over Republicans...
5) despite these facts, a trend of centrist Dems mocking ‘economic anxiety’ as a cause for Trump’s victory emerged. They highlight his bigotry as the main reason for his winning...
6) was bigotry *one* reason for Trump’s win? Yes. That’s obvious. Was it the main, or *only* reason? Of course not. But centrist Dems focus on this over all economic reasons, why?...
7) the answer is simple. It absolves neoliberal centrists of taking responsibility & reforming. If Trump’s voters are all bigoted, unintelligent, bad people. Its not your fault at all! And these are enemies who deserve public shaming, not victims of a system that left them behind
8) support Medicare for all, free college, living wage, ending the wars & a new new deal to win over the populist Dems in the rust belt and embolden your base? Na. Let’s propose the same corporate half-measures and berate people as racists and sexists when they don’t vote for us
9) that *some* percentage of Republican voters are bigoted and too far gone is obvious. Nobody is saying you should win them over. We’re saying you should win over the ones who aren’t too far gone with policy solutions that will help them. I know, crazy.
10) the problem is that Democratic leaders refuse to reform. Either because they can’t figure it out, or their donors pay them to not figure it out. Either way, don’t be the flippant douche mocking ‘economic anxiety’ in a country where 50% of workers make $30k/ year or less (end)
