How Democrats Can Beat Republican Race-Baiting Politics

Republicans’ attacks on Democrats and the left for being “too woke” and obsessed with “identity politics” have been happening, in one form or another, for decades. The strategy is rooted in the 1960s, when Democrats embraced the movement for greater civil rights for African Americans. Democrats can’t simply duck issues of race, identity, and other “symbolic politics” and focus on the economy, argues Lauren Goldstein, a pollster at Change Research and an expert in political psychology. Why not? Because as Goldstein explains in a conversation on TNR’s Right Now With Perry Bacon, economic and social issues are intertwined in voters’ minds: The Republicans will always emphasize social issues, so Democrats can’t make their arguments go unchallenged; and many voters cast their ballots based on matters such as immigration and abortion. Instead of trying to sidestep these issues, Democrats should try to lead voters toward their positions, she says. You can watch my conversation with Goldstein here.