Race-Class: Our Progressive Narrative Project Objectives Speak to - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Race-Class: Our Progressive Narrative

Project Objectives • Speak to and mobilize our base, especially people of color • Persuade the largest possible group of whites on our economic and racial justice policy solutions • Craft a narrative that addresses race as well as class • Beat Opposition Narrative and Colorblind Economic Populism • Apply nationally and in four states, exploring how to engage base and persuade middle on specific policies

Core Elements of the Rightwing Narrative Racial Fears Economic Economic Disgust with Resentment Government Resentment

From either/or & both/and to intertwined Economic Populism Economic Populism Race-Class Inseparable Racial Justice Racial Justice

Race-Class Narratives Core Elements Cross-Racial Solidarity Shared Government Prosperity and for All Racial Justice

Engage our base • 23% of respondents • Think not enough attention is paid to race • Strong concerns about bias toward Black people, Latinos, and Muslims • Believe Black people and Latinos face greater economic challenges than whites • Favor government creating opportunity • Strongly support our policy agenda • More likely to be women, African American, Latino, and progressive

Persuade the middle • 59% of respondents • Nearly half (48%) favor government action but many (35%) oppose it • Split on whether too much (39%) or too little (34%) attention paid to race • Concerned both about racism against people of color and “ reverse racism” • Nearly half (46%) see wealth as product of circumstance but many (37%) believe in bootstraps • More likely to be men and under 35

Persuadables unclear whether talking about race is helpful or fruitless, even harmful Focusing on and talking about Focusing on and talking about race doesn’t fix anything and race is necessary to move may even make things worse forward toward greater equality 72 65 21 19 Total Agree: 6-10 Persuadables Strongly Agree: 10 Split Sampled

Activate our worldview - use opposition as indicator • Committed opposition from 18% of respondents – Think wealthy people achieved success on their own – Oppose our economic and racial justice policy agenda – Hold people of color responsible for their own economic situation – Want government to get out of the way – Believe too much attention is paid to race/racism – More likely over 65, white, and conservative • Averse reactions from opposition indicate we’re engaging real issues, activating our worldview – These moments correspond to greater base enthusiasm

Messaging Dial Testing • People listened to a recording of a message. • While they listened the moved their cursor to indicate positive or negative reactions.

Opposition 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 Base (54) 30 Opposition (71) 20 Persuadable (66) Advocates (24) 10 Union (65) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46

Opposition How convincing did you find this message? 100 – very convincing Total 51-100 All Adults 17 59 Advocates 0 2 Union 14 63 Base 11 40 Persuadable 15 62 Opposition 32 76

Colorblind Economic Populism 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 Base (68) Opposition (48) 20 Persuadable (64) Advocates (71) 10 Union (65) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41

Colorblind Economic Populism How convincing did you find this message? Opposition 100 – very convincing Total 51-100 All Adults 19 63 All Adults 17 59 Advocates 16 85 Advocates 0 2 Union 17 67 Union 14 63 Base 31 82 Base 11 40 Persuadable 18 65 Persuadable 15 62 Opposition 9 32 Opposition 32 76

Working People 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 Base (73) Opposition (49) 20 Persuadable (67) 10 Advocates (75) Union (75) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 Split Sampled

Working People How convincing did you find this message? Opposition 100 – very convincing Total 51-100 All Adults 23 67 All Adults 17 59 Advocates 20 92 Advocates 0 2 Union 18 74 Union 14 63 Base 45 88 Base 11 40 Persuadable 19 69 Persuadable 15 62 Opposition 10 36 Opposition 32 76

America’s Strength 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 Base (74) Opposition (58) 20 Persuadable (70) 10 Advocates (69) Union (69) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 Split Sampled

America’s Strength How convincing did you find this message? Opposition 100 – very convincing Total 51-100 All Adults 21 69 All Adults 17 59 Advocates 12 88 Advocates 0 2 Union 20 76 Union 14 63 Base 36 84 Base 11 40 Persuadable 19 71 Persuadable 15 62 Opposition 11 47 Opposition 32 76

Adding race improves progressive economic populism… To make life better for working people we need to cut taxes, reduce regulations, and get government out of the way of business To make life better for working people To make life better for working people we we need to invest in education, create need to invest in education, create better better paying jobs, and make healthcare paying jobs, and make healthcare more more affordable for white, Black, and affordable for people struggling to make brown people struggling to make ends ends meet meet +83 +41 +80 +33 91 89 66 62 29 25 9 8 Base Persuadable Base Persuadable

Calling out divisive tactics with explicit reference to race beats opposition race baiting on immigration… We need elected leaders who will keep us safe from terrorists, secure our borders and prevent illegal immigrants from taking advantage of our country We need elected leaders who will reject We need elected leaders who will reject the divide and conquer tactics of their the divide and conquer tactics of their opponents and put the interests of opponents and put the interests of working people first, whether we’re working people first white, Black or brown +75 +7 +63 -3 86 79 48 45 42 41 16 11 Base Persuadable Base Persuadable

Increased desire to take action with “people across racial differences,” especially among persuadables. How excited are you to join together with people across racial differences to take action and bring about change? (0-10 Scale, 0 means not at all excited, 10 means very excited) 79 55 22 21 19 15 13 12 5 3 2 1 Base Persuadable Opposition Excited initially Toward excited Toward not excited Not excited and after (More excited (Less excited after initially and after messaging (6-10) after messaging) messaging) messaging (0-4) Split Sampled

After hearing messages, respondents move toward greater support for our policies All Adults Do you favor or oppose each of the following policies: Toward Toward Favor Oppose Make it easier for people to join together in union to 25 5 negotiate a fair return on their work Overhaul our criminal justice system to eliminate racial and 23 6 other biases Create a fair immigration process that keeps families 20 7 together and includes a roadmap to citizenship for current immigrants End discrimination against people of color in jobs, housing, 18 4 and education 17 4 Expand Medicare to ensure healthcare for all Americans