White, Male Democratic Voters

Democrats Need 40% of White Males; Democratic Activists Don't Appreciate That Fact

I left my previous post suggesting Joe Biden up some extra days for a few reasons. Primarily, many had a strong opinion on it. It was weird, as at first I lost about a half dozen subscribers because of it, but then over the course of two days after I gained another 20. Many of the responses I was receiving were along the lines of “I love Joe Biden, I think he is the politically where I am as a person and voter, but I just don’t think he can handle the workload to get re-elected and the threat is too high.” Still others went the other direction, where they said “Joe Biden is the only person who can hold the Democratic coalition together and the Democratic alternatives, if it is not Joe, all have serious issues with them—I just don’t think any of them can unite the rest of the party.” Either of these positions are agreeable and understandable to me and it has come to represent the thoughtful dialogue I have tried to curate here at PurpleAmerica. Whether he stays in the race or steps aside, it’s something that needs (needed actually) to be discussed. It’s not just being President through to November, but for the next four years when Biden will be 86 years old upon leaving office. I don’t know too many spry 86 year olds capable of handling a job at Walmart much less leader of the free world.

Democrats have a lot to be thankful for this year. Trump is the other party’s candidate again and Project 2025, which appears to be some sort of governing platform from Hell put forth by Trump supporters and advisers who think Beelzebub is too nice, is downright abyssmal. Democrats have a number of huge, motivating issues that work in their favor, such as abortion, the economy, defense and domestic affairs. People are getting happier even if they are not fully saying it or polls don’t reflect it. Dems should be ahead by 10 points if there were a more energetic or encompassing messenger, but even then, one has to wonder why they aren’t. I mean, seriously, a dead Biden would still be several levels up from a live Trump for most people.

Then I read this yesterday morning and was reminded why.

Was she lying? Probably not. It’s not hard to find a few “white men” or any group really firing shots at anyone online. In fact, I was a white male saying Biden should step aside, though saying so had absolutely nothing to do with me being white or male as whoever replaces him would have the exact same policies this person wants and professes to be in favor of. Sentiments like this are common online, and offending. It’s the broadbrushing of it that “white men” are the cause of every problem that is an issue. It’s prejudicial based on sexism and racism, and assumes one’s whole demographic identity, regardless of their experiences in life or character, are determinative. I kind of find statements like this offensive regardless of who they are aimed at. I’m a Democratic supporter this election cycle (TRUMP IS HORRIBLE IN EVERY WAY); I am also a white male and read that, along with many other prejudicial comments generalizing “white males” and get offended how they lump me in with bitcoin bros, sexist incels and Trumpist Republicans and assume we’re all the same. THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE AND CAUSE FOR CONSTERNATION THIS ELECTION CYCLE. It makes me less likely to vote Democrat. It makes me feel unwelcome and unappreciated by Democrats.¹ It is singularly their biggest hurdle toward a governing majority that would last a generation. The more statements like this that go unanswered by party leaders, the more problems they raise. I stated before Democrats need a Sister Souljah moment, they still do.

And it’s at points like this that I need to make and underscore a seriously important point that too many Democratic activists regularly forget; in order to win, Democrats need about 40% of the white male vote. Hillary fell well short and lost, while Biden barely missed it (39%) and eked across 270 Electoral Votes.² White male voters disproportionately make up larger amounts of swing state voters that Democrats need this election, the famed Iron Belt/Rust Belt/Blue Wall states, than any other demographic. Yes, I get that the Republican Party is disproportionately male and white. You know what else? It regularly gets 40% of women and is closing in on 45% of Hispanic voters. Yes, it’s easy to point out much of it’s leadership is male. But you know what else? More and more of its communication efforts are geared toward attracting women, including women press secretaries and communications specialists. They’re reaching out to areas they are deficient in, while Democrats seem to be pushing their needs further and further away. Alienating a very large segment of the population necessary to win is not a winning strategy, in any way.

There is a propensity to say that prejudice against people is wrong. However, socially it seems acceptable to be prejudicial towards men, and in particular white men. Many point out that white men were historically privileged, but to many white males from Gen X on up, we’ve lived in a time of equality and feminism and have never really experienced the privileges everyone attaches to us. Even more oddly, many point to white men as the reason Democrats lose elections. The fact is that there are factors bigger than sex and race as indicators of party preferences, such as geography (rural, urban, suburban, along with various states), education level (college educated vrs. non- college educated) and income (lower income and middle class voters used to be Democratic, but are increasingly Republican). Instead of training their ire at white men, many of whom are sympathetic and even solidly Democratic, perhaps liberal activists should question why blue collar, non-college educated voters of either sex and any race are leaving the party in droves and voting for a charlatan who has no interest in helping them with their problems?

And this is where I usually hear the lazy left wing arguments that have no chance of occurring, no sense in argument, yet liberal activists continually hold these up as the entire reason they never win. Arguments such as:

• The Electoral College is outdated/racist/unfair/undemocratic and needs to be abolished. News tip, the Electoral College isn’t going anywhere. Besides, arguing against how the rules of the game are played is a losers’ argument. It’s like saying the football team that gets the most yards or the baseball team that gets the most hits should win. Quit making this stupid argument please.

• Land doesn’t vote! Why does Wyoming and the Dakotas have the same number of Senators as California! Ugh, well, land doesn’t vote but it has always defined who does, it’s called jurisdictions and it defines the boundries of Wyoming, the Dakotas and California, along with every other jurisdiction. California even set its own boundries, something not all states were privy too. As for being upset California has only 2 Senators, there is another House of Congress where it has 52 Congresspeople, to Wyoming’s, and both Dakotas one each, yet you never hear them complain about that.

• Citizens United! Its patently unfair how corporations and large donors mindwarp uninformed voters! (Nevermind that Democrats use the decision for fundraising and spending just as much as Republicans).

• Moderates are nothing but Republicans in disguise! They’re holding Democrats back and we don’t need them! (HA! Have fun in the permanent minority if you can’t compromise or appeal to middle of the road voters who can put you over the top)

• And so on.

Look at that map at the top of this screen. That’s the state of the race as it currently is. In that scenario, Trump wins. Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are currently toss ups but I gave them to Biden. Michigan polling over the weekend saw it trending in the Trump column. If Michigan goes for Trump, there is simply no path forward for a Democrat to win. Biden is in jeopardy of losing it. It’s for a number of reasons, particularly the Gaza-Israeli War, but one big, huge major reason is that lower class, non-college educated laborers look at where the Democratic Party is going and want no part of it. Biden appealed to the working class labor roots to win it in 2020, but that population is getting old and more culturally conservative people are aging up and voting Republican.³ If Democrats want to win in November, they are going to have to appeal to a large segment of these voters, many of whom are white, may of whom are male. When they derisively point to them as the enemy, they send them sprinting over to the other camp, because they know they are not welcome in the Democratic one. This factor, more than any other one I’ve seen, and discussed with many upper midwest swing voters, is the central reason Trump is even plausible at this point. To win, Democrats need to be more positive.

Winning Strategies

Which brings me to how Democrats can win. At this point, I don’t know if Biden will be the nominee, or Kamala Harris, or Gavin Newsome, or someone else. It remains to be seen. But they have a few things already going for them:

• Trump is a felon, and insurrectionist and has all the trappings of a Bond villain. If they can’t beat him it only underscores the malpractice being committed by party elites, activists and insiders. Running against Trump is something that any candidate can do, so the message, regardless of who delivers it, will be the same (although to be sure, some can deliver it better than others). Frankly, the Democratic candidate should be up 20 right now and that they are not is practically criminal neglect.

• Women voters are already energized from the Dobbs decision. They’ve come out for every election and special election since the Supreme Court handed the travesty down. It’s OK to keep throwing a little red meat there to keep them going, but Dems need to focus on expanding the tent, not narrowly focused on who already is there. Start by appealing to more men. Make it acceptable for them to vote Democratic. Be welcoming. Support them and they’ll support you. There is simply more upside and bang for the buck with this demographic more than any other. Improve on this group a mere 5 pts and you’re in the White House.

• Set up shop in Wisconsin. Michigan and Pennsylvania and campaign there EVERY DAY IN SEPTEMBER AND PROBABLY OCTOBER TOO. That means 16-18 hour days, (I don’t think Biden can do that anymore which is one reason I said he should drop out) hopping on the plane, going from Harrisburg to Lansing to La Crosse one day and then Oshkosh to Escanaba to Wilkes-Barre the next. Back and forth, back and forth. Don’t stick to tried and true Democratic hot button issues, but focus on things like patriotism, veterans, trade schools, day care and other issues that help lower and middle classes. Stay away from Student Loan Forgiveness and Immigration.

• Did I mention that Trump was an insurrectionist felon? I did, oh, REPEAT IT. Use it as a cudgel to point out his lack of patriotism. THAT SHOULD BE A THEME. He’s a dodger with bone spurs, a former commander in chief who called disabled veterans losers and questioned why anyone would make the ultimate sacrifice for their country. The Democratic candidate kisses eagles, eats hot dogs and apple pie and knows the lyrics to (You Can Still) Rock in America and Yankee Rose.

• If Joe Biden is no longer the candidate, hold him up as an icon. He saved America, got it back on the right track and DID THE RIGHT THING WHEN IT WAS APPARENT TO STEP ASIDE. That’s patriotism. That’s what love of country looks like. That’s a True American, fighting Joe, the President who was Uncle Sam incarnate without the chin whiskers. Trump couldn’t do that. Trump couldn’t TOUCH that. Trump has nothing good to say about ANYONE else, even other Republicans hate him and they’re too afraid to say it.

Anything that does not help secure Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania in the immediate future needs to be put on the back burner. Once these are in the Democratic column by at least 5 points they can start venturing to Arizona, Nevada, Georgia and North Carolina to hopefully tip the scales further. I love Joe Biden and in his heyday those would not even be questionable and solidly in his camp. It’s his wheelhouse. Old age and changing demographics see them slipping a little away which may jumpstart the discussion on replacements. Whoever it is, they will be more energetic and will have a honeymoon period with huge potential. I hope they don’t waste it and are able to get the election back on track where it needs to be.

PurpleAmerica’s Final Word on the Subject

40% of the White Male Vote. Know it. Memorize it. Remember it. Then perhaps liberal activists won’t be so quick to hurl insults out there that white males see and think and feel that the Democratic Party isn’t for them.

—PurpleAmerica

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Footnotes and Fun Stuff

1. Don’t worry, I’m still voting Democratic this election cycle, though if they keep on this path future elections may be in doubt if Republicans ever become remotely sensible again.

2. Given his losses among black and hispanic voters, it’s very likely anything short of 40% would result in a loss.

3. Michigan was ground zero for the “Reagan Democrat” of the 80s; culturally conservative blue collar voters. This is now the base of the GOP grassroots and is something that Democrats in forty years have never effectively countered, instead focusing on getting more people to college and on educated voters. The size of the non-college educated demographic still outnumbers college educated well over 2:1.