So, Does It Matter? California Politics!

So, Does It Matter? California Politics!

*New Study* Big Democratic Study On… Themselves: What the Left’s Own Research Says About Blue-Collar America

A $4.5 million, 21-state study backed by top Democratic strategists reveals how progressives lost the working class — and what they think it will take to win them back.

Jon Fleischman's avatar
Jon Fleischman
Nov 03, 2025
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An Introspective Look at the Left Researches Its Challenges

As someone who watches government budgets, fiscal policy, and the constitutional limits of power, I spend most of my time understanding what Republicans and conservatives are doing. But to succeed politically, you also have to understand what your opponents are thinking — where they adapt, where they misstep, and where they are vulnerable.

That’s why I was fascinated to read about The Working Class Project, a significant research effort commissioned by the progressive side. Led by Mitch Landrieu and funded by American Bridge 21st Century, the study covers 21 target states, dozens of focus groups, and roughly 3,000 working-class voters. The very fact that the left is investing $4.5 million to study this group says something important: they know they’ve lost connection with working people — and they want to get it back.


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Below the paywall today, you’ll find much more about this study (and four interesting charts), including:

• What Democratic strategists learned about “woke” vs. “strong” messaging

• How economic vs. class-war language performs with blue-collar voters

• Why immigration and transgender policy remain Democratic weak spots

• How working-class voters actually get their news — and why that matters

• Where conservatives can quietly learn from their opponents’ mistakes

• And what all this says about America’s next electoral realignment

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