Why Clinton vs. Trump could bring out Democrats’ worst instincts on economics

Will 2016 bring out the Democratic Party’s worst instincts when it comes to economics and class?

On the left, Hillary Clinton is basically mathematically guaranteed to be the Democratic presidential nominee. And with the departure of Ted Cruz and John Kasich from the race, trade protectionist Donald Trump has officially sewn up the GOP nomination.

To understand the potential problem this match-up creates for the Democratic Party, you have to start with its coalition. In demographic terms, it’s a mishmash of upper-class whites, women, African-Americans, Latinos, and the young — the famous Obama coalition. But in class terms it’s an odd partnering of two opposite ends of the income spectrum: college-educated professionals on one end, and on the other, basically everyone in the poor and working class who isn’t a straight white religious male.

Needless to say, with its outsized social, economic, and political power, it’s the college-educated professional class that sets the tone and agenda for the Democratic Party. As Thomas Frank recently noted to PBS, this creates a kind of tunnel vision. For the full article click here 

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