How To Win Over The Working Class

In the last election, voters with college degrees leaned heavily toward Kamala Harris. But most voters without a degree backed President Trump. It’s not just about policy. It’s about pride, identity, and who feels like they’re on your side.

Republicans are speaking directly to working-class values like hard work, tradition, and loyalty, even while passing bills that slash healthcare and education.

Meanwhile, Democrats often sound like they’re talking down to people, using terms like “Latinx” or “climate denier” that might seem progressive, but to a lot of voters feels like a lecture. So how can Democrats reconnect and actually earn back trust?

KQED Health Correspondent Lesley McClurg is joined by Joan Williams, the author of Outclassed: How the Left Lost the Working Class and How to Win Them Back. She’s also Distinguished Professor of Law at UC Law San Francisco.

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