Schumer: new Democratic 'agenda' will 'resonate with the middle class'

[blue-wave]

Source: The Guardian

Within a month, the Democratic party will present a “strong, bold, sharp-edged and common-sense economic agenda” to underpin its efforts against Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said on Sunday.

“Here’s the No1 lesson from Georgia 6,” the New York senator said on ABC’s This Week, referring to the sixth congressional district in which Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff this week lost the most expensive special election in history.

“Democrats need a strong, bold, sharp-edged, and common-sense economic agenda. Policy, platform, message that appeal to the middle class. That resonate with the middle class … and unite Democrats. That’s what I’ve been working on for months.”

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/25/schumer-agenda-middle-class-democrats-congress-voters

[cstanleytech]

1. Its not just the middle class we need to win but also those who are struggling to even make it up

into the working class because if we dont win both then we are going to have an uphill battle especially since the middle class is still contracting with more and more people being forced down into the "struggling to make it up into the working class" area.

[riversedge]

25. The middle class is wearing thin--even if folks identify themselves

as 'middle class'

[TXCritter]

2. LEAKED: New Dem Agenda

"At least we're not Republicans."

[Honeycombe8]

3. I hope so. Because the middle class is needed, and the Dems, frankly, have a lot to offer.

The Democratic Party is the party FOR the workers of the country, the working class and middle class.

But I hope Schumer doesn't include in the plan reviving the coal industry. Even the coal industry knows there's no future in it. The world has progressed.

[bagelsforbreakfast]

4. There is no middle class anymore...

It's rich Republicans or...

the 99%.

[m-lekktor]

18. Many working class folks think they are middle class. nt

[Honeycombe8]

22. True. But there is a lower middle class, a middle-middle class, and an upper middle class.

My guess is that it's the middle-middle class & upper middle class that tended more to vote for Trump and leave the Democratic Party.

[Sunlei]

5. hurry up please.

[dae]

6. I'll be waiting.

[PatrickforO]

7. Oh, thank goodness! Finally!

We're actually going to talk about kitchen table issues! We're going to stop equivocating and waffling about our positions and OWN them. We're going to stop worrying if we might (gasp!) offend some Republican.

I've been so tired of wet noodles who are afraid of telling it like it is!

[Tiggeroshii]

8. Yes.

We fucking can.

[C Moon]

9. I love this.

[greymattermom]

10. It needs to be stated in simple language

that everyone will remember. Healthcare is pro life. Taxes pay for roads and schools. Housing the homeless saves lives and money. Medicaid takes care of grandmas. Forget the rich, just say in plain language what we plan to do for regular folks.

[B Stieg]

11. About F'ing time!

But we need more than just one senator working on the idea.

[woundedkarma]

12. Umm sure...

Sounds like he's going to cave. New democratic agenda, same as the old democratic agenda.

Amidst that work, Schumer said, he had been “talking to Trump voters”.

[BumRushDaShow]

13. And then when that happens

the Cornel Wests and Tavis Smileys bubble up and say "What about the poor and those in poverty and those left behind?!1!!!!!!"

It's a never ending tail-chaser because our side refuses to start buying local media outlets (notably radio stations in small town and rural areas) and programming them with "our messages" - and this must be done for a number years, at a profit LOSS (which can be considered a "donation" to the cause).

[bucolic_frolic]

14. Our spending habits are a source of strength

I avoid corporate chains. Restaurants, stores if I can, even supermarkets.
Gimme local, Main Street, regional, mom and pop, eBay, farmer's markets,
co-ops.

Slow the flow of money up the income ladder!

[Honeycombe8]

26. In many cases, the corporate giants are liberal, while small businesses are uber conservative.

It's the corporate giants who championed ins. for same-sex partners, flex work time, daycare, good health insurance. They contribute to both political parties, usually. It is the corporate giants who came out and urged Trump not to gut environmental regulations.

Small businesses are more often the ones that refuse service if their religion says your lifestyle is a sin.

It's hard to make sweeping generalizations and be right about their political leanings.

[bucolic_frolic]

30. You're right there are shades of gray

but sticking with the big corporations can also give you more strip malls, big boxes and mega malls,
contribute to shareholder dividends since the wealthy own most of the stock, help move jobs to
China, as well as buying vegetables from 3000 miles away so your local farms can be sold to
developers. I'm not finding a lot that's environmentally friendly or sustainable in that mix.

Local Main Street businesses are an odd mix. Yes, religiously conservative, xenophobic until the cash
register rings, and Republican, but also involved in preserving local community life since Big Box stores
are their competitors.

It's a mixed bag, and it's good for me to have a reminder. Thanks!

[delisen]

15. What is Shumer's middle class? Is it a class full of empty slots

waiting to be filled by current member of an "upper class" or a "working class". Is it a new shrunken middle class that Shumer sees as needing a better deal to prevent political defections to the right?

Will Shumer address automation and robotization?

[Honeycombe8]

27. Automation is the progress of the world. It can't be stopped, and probably shouldn't be.

We either progress, or we don't.

The country and world had an industrial and transportation revolution once. Makers of horse buggy parts went out of business, but other jobs sprang up. Should we still be using horses & buggies?

Then we had an electronic revolution. Millions of office workers lost their jobs, as computers with one operator took their places. Should we go back to the days of pre-computers?

Should we return to steam locomotives as our main mode of transportation over miles?

Should we give up centralized plumbing? Electricity, which put makers of gas fixtures out of business?

We have already gone through different shifts of automation & robotization. It's just a continuation of what has gone before.

Progress can't be stopped.

[delisen]

28. Of course automation is inevitable. Will shumer acknowledge

and plan for automation with a living income for people?

[Va Lefty]

16. I hope so

but past history tell s me the first time faux news screams "class warfare" they will clam up

[m-lekktor]

17. An agenda that resonates with the working class would be great as well! nt

[videohead5]

19. We Need a Plan

For rural areas of the country where industries abandon and went to China or Mexico and left these rural places with no jobs.this is why Trump won these voters promising to repeal NAFTA and talking about bringing jobs back.

[The Wizard]

20. Democrats must use clear decisive language

when articulating their positions. Remember, wrong and strong beats weak and right. The only things you find in the middle of the road are yellow stripes and road pizza,

[ArizonaLib]

21. Again, "it is the very least we can do" - Senate Democrats

He spent all this time trying to figure out how to carve out something for the middle class? How about "the 1% have enough, now it's time for everyone else"? Or how about "the blue dogs have failed, let's try something else"?

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

23. really very simple - defend the new deal. the arguments are pretty much the same as they were

90 yrs ago - in fact they could just dust off some of fdr speeches, up the date the language a little and we're good to go.

Also borrow from Teddy R's progressive populism esp what was called "trust busting" eg breaking up monopolies and addressing corruption (known today as"pay top lay."

[ananda]

24. Say it -- poor

poor poor poor

One of these days this country will recognize its
growing number of poor people.

[Trial_By_Fire]

29. Great words Senator Schumer

This is exactly what the majority of the people want. If the Dems do this, they win every election.