Ken Martin

Well, I'll use some personal examples of that. My brother, who's a union carpenter, he voted for Obama in 8 and 12, and Trump in 16, 20, and 24, right? My father-in-law is a beef cattle farmer in southern Minnesota. Same thing, voted for Obama and then voted for Trump. So we know that there are people who are moving away from our party. And I think part of the challenge- Did you ask them why?

What was the change? Each of them had different reasons, right? And I'm happy to get into them. But I think the larger point you're making is that we have continued to lose ground with non-college educated voters. And part of that is, I believe, we've allowed our party to essentially devolve into smaller and smaller messages, right? To appeal to- different parts of our really big tent coalition.

What was the change? Each of them had different reasons, right? And I'm happy to get into them. But I think the larger point you're making is that we have continued to lose ground with non-college educated voters. And part of that is, I believe, we've allowed our party to essentially devolve into smaller and smaller messages, right? To appeal to- different parts of our really big tent coalition.

And as a result, we've lost the narrative, right? We've lost the thing that connects all of the disparate parts of our coalition. And what is that? Well, I'll tell you. Paul Wellstone, my first boss in politics, understood this. He understood that what connected a corn farmer in Southern Minnesota with a steel worker on the Iron Range and a new refugee in the Twin Cities was economics, right?

And as a result, we've lost the narrative, right? We've lost the thing that connects all of the disparate parts of our coalition. And what is that? Well, I'll tell you. Paul Wellstone, my first boss in politics, understood this. He understood that what connected a corn farmer in Southern Minnesota with a steel worker on the Iron Range and a new refugee in the Twin Cities was economics, right?

kitchen table issues, bread and butter issues that at the end of the day, people are worried about. And let me just give you an example of this. For me, when we talk about working people and labor as an example, we just talked about this the other night, too many people feel like we only show up when we're asking them for their vote.

kitchen table issues, bread and butter issues that at the end of the day, people are worried about. And let me just give you an example of this. For me, when we talk about working people and labor as an example, we just talked about this the other night, too many people feel like we only show up when we're asking them for their vote.

And then we never deliver on the promises we make to actually make a difference in their lives. I think we, last year, we were defending the Biden economy, of course, and it was a great economy. One of the best economies we've seen in years, right? From a GDP perspective, a job growth perspective, from unemployment and real wage growth.

And then we never deliver on the promises we make to actually make a difference in their lives. I think we, last year, we were defending the Biden economy, of course, and it was a great economy. One of the best economies we've seen in years, right? From a GDP perspective, a job growth perspective, from unemployment and real wage growth.

But the reality is, as we were trying to defend Joe Biden and talk about all these things, we were ignoring the pain that average everyday working people in this country were facing, right? By working class, by the way, it's not code for white people. For me, we know that the working class in this country is black, brown, and white people who are working their asses off.

But the reality is, as we were trying to defend Joe Biden and talk about all these things, we were ignoring the pain that average everyday working people in this country were facing, right? By working class, by the way, it's not code for white people. For me, we know that the working class in this country is black, brown, and white people who are working their asses off.

working harder than they ever have, can barely afford their lives, right? And when gas prices are high and grocery prices are high, and we're talking to them about the GDP, we've already lost them because we're not acknowledging the economic pain that they're facing. So for me, part of this is getting back to the narrative that connects all parts of our Big Ten coalition, right?

working harder than they ever have, can barely afford their lives, right? And when gas prices are high and grocery prices are high, and we're talking to them about the GDP, we've already lost them because we're not acknowledging the economic pain that they're facing. So for me, part of this is getting back to the narrative that connects all parts of our Big Ten coalition, right?

And that is a working class agenda that unites everyone, whether you're a corn farmer or you're a new refugee in the Twin Cities.

And that is a working class agenda that unites everyone, whether you're a corn farmer or you're a new refugee in the Twin Cities.

Well, first, you need to figure out what that brand is. And I think that should be a working class, focusing on a working class agenda, right? So, but even We need to spend a lot of time and energy thinking about specifically what that looks like as it relates to the policy prescription. But let me tell you why I don't think it's an abandonment of our message or our policy agenda, right?

Well, first, you need to figure out what that brand is. And I think that should be a working class, focusing on a working class agenda, right? So, but even We need to spend a lot of time and energy thinking about specifically what that looks like as it relates to the policy prescription. But let me tell you why I don't think it's an abandonment of our message or our policy agenda, right?

Think about Missouri. They passed a minimum wage increase, paid family leave, and abortion protections all by wide margins, yet those same voters went down the ballot and voted for Trump and the Republicans. It seems to me that we see these issues, they're very popular throughout the country, passing in ballot initiative and referenda by wide margins. They're very popular, right?

Think about Missouri. They passed a minimum wage increase, paid family leave, and abortion protections all by wide margins, yet those same voters went down the ballot and voted for Trump and the Republicans. It seems to me that we see these issues, they're very popular throughout the country, passing in ballot initiative and referenda by wide margins. They're very popular, right?

Yet those same voters aren't necessarily connecting the dots between the issues that they support that will actually make a difference in their lives and are Democratic candidates. So that's not a message problem. It's a messaging problem. We're clearly not connecting the dots for voters.