Something to identify with

Democrats are the party of taking from the rich and giving to the poor. It makes sense that they would be the party of the poor and that is how they have often been seen. But lately they have had less success attracting working class voters, particulate white ones. I want to explain one reason that might be.

The messages we get about how others perceive us can have important effects on our psyche. If we continually hear that the world at large considers us bad or evil or unimportant or that we shouldn’t exist, it’s  going to have a negative effect on us. The sensible thing to do is to move away from the community that is giving you these messages.

But many of these messages about us are not likely to be from close acquaintances that know us personally. Instead they will be from culture leaders that tell stories about various types of people, and we will feel the judgments of types similar to us as judgments of us.

Culture leaders naturally develop political view points and they clump together based on political views. Which clumps of culture leader voters regularly listen too will have an important effect on how they vote. So frequently talking about types that a voter can identify with, without psychological harm, is going to be an important part of keeping voters. So here are all the types I know of that a poor or working class person might identify with.

Salt of the earth types

                They may not have riches or fame, but at least they have moral value. They work hard and pay their debts even knowing they will never really make it. This steadiness provides the stable base for the whole nation. They’re the moral heart of America, so their values are more important than those of the decadent jet-setter types. Identifying with this type provides a sense of moral uprightness that overrides any sense of economic underachievement. Anyone who tries to be a good member of their can identify with this type, even if they don't succeed in having it together. Democrats have been allergic to promoting and praising this identity type because it seems to be against progressive social issues, but it might be worth it to try re-working it.

Sturdy independent types

               Their skills may not earn them much in the labor market, but they don't need the labor market that can make every thing they need for themselves. They can grow their own food, fix their own snow mobiles, and built their own shelter. Identify with this type can give the sense of pride that you can "look the whole world in the face because you owe not any man," regardless of your actual debt situation. Anyone who is improving their self reliance skills can claim this identity, even if all they have so far is a small container garden and a try at canning. Democrats have been wary of high lighting this type because it goes against the idea low incomes are a horror that require emergency action and also because the full blown version of the life style often involves guns and killing your own meet. But really the heroes of this type are often old hippies other being in touch with nature types. I think this identity type is ripe for big tent Democrats to embrace.

Up and comer types

                  They may not have much now but they are going to work hard, save, and be clever about money. Some day they are going to be middle class, if they get a lucky break maybe even well to do. Identify with this type can give a sense of worth and potential, that you are in control and will be someone people look up to. Anyone can identify with this type by forming an intention for future action regardless of they are now. Democrats really want to cultivate this identity type, but there's a problem caused by the way the human mind defaults to framing the "take from the rich" part of the Democratic program. The natural assumptions of our mind are that taking equals punishment and that the person being punished is bad. The person who is already rich can say, 'I'm ready to pay my debt to society and be forgiven,' but the statement doesn't really apply to identifying as actively trying to commit the punishable offence. With more awareness this is the problem Democrats might overcome this issue.

Victims
                 They are poor because some evil force that they were helpless against put them it this position. They have a moral claim on good people for help to get out of this situation. This identity gives you a since of righteousness and deservingness but it can be frustrating if you have to stay with it year after year. Anyone can identify with this type by identifying a villain that did this to them. Democrats often use this type as part of motivating help for POC and other minority groups. But they often do this by contrasting problems others face with the image of whites going there life on the easy setting. This idea can be comforting to rich whites as it means they didn't really mean to commit the punishable offence, it just happened to them. But for poor whites it means they don't qualify as victims and their is only one option left:

Loser.


            If this is the only option available to someone in Democratic communication, then even if democratic policies would benefit this person, the damage this person would take (from listening to a lot of Democratic communication and thinking of Dems as reliable) may outweigh the benefit. But all the other types I know of in Democratic discourse require some sort of success or elite status before someone can identify with them.

            Democratic thinkers can come types poor people can identify with and use them as supporting characters is stories and incidental examples. The type examples don't have to be exclusively or even primarily white, Democrats just have to make sure that no part of there message excludes whites from the type.
             To win votes you needs to help voters materially without tearing them down psychologically. I think providing opportunities for positive identification will let Democrats do this without changing their policy positions.