My friend Marty texted me a link to an op-ed piece by Thomas Friedman a couple of days ago titled “Who Can Win America’s Politics of Humiliation?” Friedman asserts that “unless Biden finds a way to speak to the sense of humiliation felt by many working-class voters, even Trump’s failure to deal with the pandemic may not be enough to turn these voters against him.” That’s because “the politics of humiliation is at the heart of Trump’s appeal.”
Friedman discusses the circumstances that have “led many working people to feel that elites look down on them,” and suggests that Trump’s appeal is rooted in his success at tapping into their resentment.
Trump, who himself had been looked down on by New York City elites, understood that the familiar fight between Democrats and Republicans over how to grow the pie and how to distribute the pie was ignoring a deeper sentiment among many white working-class Americans.
These traditional Democratic voters felt that liberal elites were looking down at them, new immigrants were superseding them and foreigners were laughing at them. And Trump became the fist in the face that his voters threw back at all of them.
Friedman believes that Biden, if he is to win back any of these traditionally Democratic voters, needs to go on a tour of Trump country “and just listen to Trump’s base, both to learn and as a sign of respect.” He suggests that “Biden’s goal should be to separate Trump from Trump voters by showing that he respects them and their fears — even if he does not respect Trump.”
I agree wholeheartedly with Friedman’s assessment that the “politics of humiliation” is at the heart of Trump’s appeal, but I’m not sure Biden will be able to win over many of Trump’s core supporters no matter what he does. Regardless of whether he demonstrates respect for them, Biden will never be seen as a “fist in the face” of the elite.
But when I expressed that view to my wife, she made a good point: even if listening to and showing respect for working-class supporters of Donald Trump doesn’t help Biden win the election, it may help him govern if he does win.
In 2016, many of those who voted for Trump not only preferred him, they hated Hillary Clinton. That would have made things tough for her if she had become president. But depending on how Biden campaigns, I can imagine many of those same voters deciding that, while they still intended to vote for Trump, they didn’t despise Biden. That could it make it more difficult for Republicans in Congress to thwart legislation that Biden proposes that would help those Trump supporters, such as expanded access to health care or raising the minimum wage.
I don’t want to be Pollyannish here. We live in an era of intense divisiveness, and I have no doubt that congressional Republicans would do anything they could to prevent a President Biden from achieving any legislative victories. But if a large number of Trump supporters end up viewing Biden as a not-too-bad alternative to Donald Trump, he’ll have considerably less difficulty doing the job of president than if a third of American voters hate his guts.
In an election this close (and I assume it will be close, even though the polls show Biden with a big lead) if Biden moves even 0.5% of Trump’s voters into his camp it will could make a real difference to the outcome. So I think the “Listening Tour” is a brilliant way to campaign if they do it right. Friedman also suggests that in a debate if all Biden did was talk about his experience of talking with Trump’s supporters and IF he truly listens to them and talks about he agrees and disagrees then somebody will be moved. Can he do this and show up as an authentic person? I want to believe he can.
I think Friedman makes a very telling point. That sense that elites are condescending to you and really don’t care what happens to working class folks is strong and has been around for a very long time. To me, though, the real challenge is ratcheting down the rhetoric and anger so we can talk civilly to one another. All media is to blame here: conflict has been selling advertising for a very long time. Reasoned discussion is boring from the media’s perspective. Who wants to watch a civil discussion on wonky policy issue if you can haven angry people screaming at each other? I believe Biden could bring down the anger quotient if he gets elected. We shall see.