"Democrats Do Best When They Can Unite around a Vision of Economic Improvement for Everybody"

"Walsh believes that Democrats must reject identity politics and quit assuming that white working-class voters are beyond the reach of progressive appeals. And this is not just a matter of fairness. The most important reason is pragmatic. Even in an era when shifting demographics are benefiting the Democrats, 'no matter what kinds of coalitions the Democrats can assemble to win an election, it will be harder for them to restore America’s economic potential without the support of the white middle and working class.' Here she is on very firm ground. Electoral weakness among the white working class can be finessed in some elections (2008, perhaps 2012), but it deprives the Democrats of the stable majority support they need around the country and within Congress to implement activist programs the country desperately needs. And if a Democratic administration runs into trouble, the potential for blowback from an unfriendly white working class is always present (as was seen in 2010)."

In The New Republic, Ruy Teixeira reviews Joan Walsh's What’s the Matter with White People?: Why We Long for a Golden Age That Never Was.