Should we re-frame our idea of ‘working class’ voters?

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Sean O'Brien, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, attends the first day of the Republican National Convention, July 15, 2024. Photo credit: Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK.

Teamsters President Sean O’Brien recently announced that the influential union wouldn’t be endorsing a presidential candidate. Meanwhile, other major unions are supporting Kamala Harris, but she’s struggling to secure the working-class male vote. Have Democrats lost the ability to connect with this bloc, or is something else at play? And what do we mean when we say “working class” these days?

There was a lot of attention on Kamala Harris’ previous stances on fracking when she joined the presidential race. In 2019, Harris was firmly against fracking, but has since reversed course. It’s seen as a key issue in the swing state of Pennsylvania, but the industry actually accounts for less than half of 1% of jobs there. With such little impact on the state’s economy, was supporting the controversial form of energy production necessary?

A Drag Queen Story Hour in Lancaster, Pennsylvania made the town’s library another front in the culture war. As part of our 50 states series, KCRW discusses how to overcome the urge to tune out the people and ideas we disagree with and find opportunities to unite.

Credits

Guests:

Host:

David Greene

Producer:

Marque Greene