Democrats are trying, once again, to move the party away from big banks and towards a more populist focus. This isn’t the first time this call has been made; as Up with Steve Kornacki guest Rick Perlstein pointed out on Sunday’s show, populist messages are common just before elections, but they haven’t yet influenced the majority of the party. Will it be different this time?
The changing demographics of the United States could make this shift inevitable, The Daily Beast‘s Jamelle Bouie pointed out. As the population becomes more diverse and communities that have struggled to enter the middle class grow, “concerns centered on inequality” will become more important, Bouie said.
Why doesn’t this message find wider acceptance? Is it because most people consider themselves “middle class,” as Josh Barro suggested, or is it because corporate money in politics keeps discussions of inequality focused on fighting for the same small piece of the pie?
Watch the full discussion and hear what the panel has to say.
Meredith Clark
Meredith Clark is a freelance writer and editor. She was previously a senior news producer for "Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj," a reporter with MSNBC.com, the digital politics and culture editor at Glamour and a senior news and politics editor at Refinery29. She has written for Vulture, Rolling Stone, Self, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, The Daily Beast and Bustle. Recommended
