Thomas Frank: Dems Aren’t ‘Party of the People,’ ‘Do Not Give a Damn About Working Class Americans’

[NorthCarolina]

On Friday’s broadcast of HBO’s “Real Time,” author Thomas Frank declared that the Democratic Party is not “the party of the people,” and members of its “Ivy League set” “do not give a damn about working class Americans.”

Frank said that his new book, “Listen Liberal,” is about the fact that “Democrats aren’t who we think they are. You think they’re the party of the people, the party of the workers, the party of labor? They aren’t. … It’s a party of the white-collar, professional class, affluent white-collar professional class.”

Maher added that Democrats today are “a very different breed” than the Democrats his parents were.

Frank responded, “Absolutely, and the — but today’s breed, it’s these Ivy League guys doing favors for other Ivy League guys. Look at the Obama administration, the revolving door with Wall Street. Look at the Clinton administration, same kind of thing. And if it’s not Wall Street, it’s Silicon Valley, it’s big pharma. I mean — so yeah, it’s a liberalism of the rich. This is a liberalism of the winners of the new economy, winners. The people who are left behind, of course, organized labor, working people.”

I think Thomas Frank does a great job explaining WHY Bernie supporters really have little interest in supporting Hillary Clinton or her New Dem com-padres.

[840high]

1. It's no longer the party I grew

up with.

[NorthCarolina]

2. Me either.

I see the spark of that Democratic Party in Bernie though. It's largely why I am so drawn to him. That, and his truly genuine compassion. He fights the good fight, and the young folks are armed with the knowledge that they CAN call the shots if they get involved. His is the future of this country, of that I have absolutely NO doubt.

[Baobab]

3. People don't pay. Show them the money.

Cough it up, now. Do you want access or don't you?

[Yurovsky]

8. Exact-a-mundo... Everything is just influence peddling & rent-seeking...

if it's the GOP in charge, it's all about who gets the military contracts and who gets the contracts for government services that are "privatized". You want in on the gravy train? Pay up.

And lately, the Democrats are all about who gets a seat at the table when new government programs or regulations are created. You want favorable terms? Pay up. NGOs and citizen groups can't bribe offials like the corporate & Wall Street 1%ers can. So who wins? The high bidder, much like how the GOP has done business for decades.

Bernie gave many of us hope that we could end the plutocracy, and return America to the 99%. We might not win this time, but the corporatists have been put on notice. The youth of America are going to see this through. I hope I live long enough to see it.

[silvershadow]

11. Nor me. We are a Union labor household. I grew up watching my dad go on strike, work picket lines,

have union meetings and hog roasts right in my back yard, with 200 or 300 people..lasted all weekend. Old-school street-level politicking. I am in my 50's and just old enough to get a real taste of what it was all about. By the time I was old enough to get a job, Reagan was in and the jobs were out. My life plan of working behind my Dad in the GM plant never materialized. Nor did any decent job like that. I cannot tell you how elated I am to see a candidate like Bernie. I am stunned, and elated. Now that I know he's on the scene the chances of me remaining a Democrat are equal to Bernie's. That is, I go where Bernie goes. Period. End of story. Hope he wins. If not, I hope he stays to finish the job of leading us out of the wilderness.

[Scuba]

4. ...

"If the Democratic Party would fight as hard for the Working Class as the Republican Party fights for the Ruling Class, the Republicans would be a powerless minority party within a few election cycles.

The Democratic Party knows this, the Republican Party knows this, the Ruling Class knows this- and they've been astonishingly successful at making sure the Working Class never learns this. ~ Anonymous

[BernieforPres2016]

5. I'm not going to watch this clip because I can't stand Bill Maher

But Frank's book is excellent. It has some really good insights about what the Democratic Party has become. Larry Summers summarized the view of the current leaders of the party when he said people were basically getting what they deserve.

[imagine2015]

6. It's pretty hard to believe that the Senator from Wall Street is going represent working class.

It's pretty hard to believe that the Senator from Wall Street is going represent working class.

[RiverLover]

7. Hillary & Bill are the Voice of the 1%.

Now, who can't get behind that? Plus, they're like famous & all. And the economy happened to be in a beautiful bountiful bubble when Bill was in the WH. That's what matters here folks.

Who cares that he enacted more policies more in line with Reagan than W did, and helped make the Party for the People into the Party for the 1%? The republicans suck at helping the 1%. They try, oh they try. Just can't do it as well as fake Dems in the WH.

We're Number 1! For the 1%!!! Woot!

[myrna minx]

9. K&R

[reformist2]

10. They're really not. They still pretend they are, though. That's their shtick.

Just like the Republicans' shtick is pretending they're looking out for middle-class white people, when they're really not.

[B Calm]

12. This is why over 50% of voters are registered independent, they feel their party no longer

represents them anymore. We need to get those voters back, vote for Bernie!