The concern trolls are out in force, warning Democrats they better not run on the economy, because of the low unemployment rate and job numbers. Bret Stephens is the latest, warning Democrats not to act “unbecoming” by seeming to hope for bad economic news. Stephens writes Democrats erred in 2016 by running on “prosperity,” based on numbers showing the decline in unemployment under Obama, while Trump appealed to the “unprotected” class, who were not gaining despite the good numbers.
What Stephens ignores is the same is true of the “unprotected” today. Despite 3.5% unemployment, 78% of Workers Live Paycheck to Paycheck. According to a survey by Career Builder:
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Nearly one in 10 workers making $100,000+ live paycheck to paycheck
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More than 1 in 4 workers do not set aside any savings each month
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Nearly 3 in 4 workers say they are in debt - and more than half think they always will be
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More than half of minimum wage workers say they have to work more than one job to make ends meet
- 28% of workers making $50,000-$99,999 usually or always live paycheck to paycheck, and 70% are in debt
This data is amplified by other data from a recent report from the Federal Reserve showing four in 10 adults say they couldn’t produce $400 in an emergency without sliding into debt or selling something, according to the 2017 figures.
The Washington Post recently ran the story: Living paycheck to paycheck is disturbingly common: ‘I see no way out,’ citing the Fed study above, but also featuring interviews with middle class people facing the Paycheck to Paycheck life: “They’re millennials, Gen Xers and baby boomers. They work in big cities and rural towns. They’ve tried to save — but rent, child care, student loans and medical bills get in the way.”
The December/January government shutdown revealed the anxiety and precariousness of the Paycheck to Paycheck life when almost a million federal employees actually did miss one or two of their paychecks:
“My husband is a Park Ranger in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and he had to sign his furlough papers,” one woman tweeted. ”We have a 4 yr. old and a 4-month-old, and we don’t know when his next check will come. Mortgage is due, Christmas 2 days away.”
So Democrats should not be afraid of running on:
No American should live paycheck to paycheck.
No American should plunged into debt by a $400 medical bill.
Democrats can fix this.
What good is low unemployment when the jobs don’t pay enough to save any money? When the pay means you have to work two jobs, or both of a couple must work despite having small children?
Democrats are urged to “move to the center” for those elusive working class voters who may have voted for Trump. But if they voted for Trump because of economic issues* (and some did), they don’t want to hear a “centrist” economic message. They want to hear about:
Raising the Minimum Wage (which Republicans have kept at $7.25 for 10 years).
Keeping and improving healthcare,(which Republicans are still trying to kill), so that one expense won’t ruin you
Funding Real jobs programs, like a Job Guarantee, with a $15 minimum wage (which horrifies Republicans).
Parental leave, to ease the burden on families (which Republicans are OK with, as long as they can steal it from your social security).
Student debt relief (which Republicans oppose).
Elizabeth Warren is coming out with policies like this every week.
The differences between Republican and Democratic policies are stark. All Democrats need to do is connect their candidates with these policies.
To the 200 or so Democratic Presidential candidates: Repeat after me:
No American should live paycheck to paycheck.
No American should plunged into debt by a $400 medical bill.
Democrats can fix this.
*Yeah, I know. “Economic Anxiety” can be a euphemism for racism. But many non-racists did vote for Trump because of his [phony] promises on the economy. They are reachable with this economic message.