Listen to them? It’s not just blue collars. NDP lost the plot for a number of wage earners, focusing on benefit earners.
huunnuuh on
If we’re thinking in terms of class it’s not defined by income.
In North America the usual sense of “middle class” and “blue collar” are not incompatible and they are substantially overlapping. Not always understood by the lefty urban white collar types. You can be very well off and “blue collar”.
All those plumbers and electricians and tradesmen and contractors and in the GTA 905 suburbs? They vote Tory solidly these days and they consider themselves blue collar.
That bloc used to be more evenly split among the parties but it has gone very Tory of late. I think it’s partly cultural in that they’ve stopped thinking of themselves as labour or petty bourgeoisie at best and are more in the mindset of being little CEOs and the bootstraps and hard work rhetoric of modern conservatism goes particularly well with that.
fumfer1 on
There seems to be a sense of cultural condescension from progressive voters moreso than progressive politicians when it comes to things like guns, trucks, and religion. I think the broader shift on the left towards safetyism pushes alot of blue collar and rural people away.
Ov3rReadKn1ght0wl on
The NDP went from a unions and workers party to a party of undergraduate social issue Twitter platitudes. To boot, they joined themselves at the hip to the federal LPC who had effectively stolen their messaging and was noticeably anti worker and pro gentry leaving workers with no inherent home other than to migrate to the only other party that seemed to have a chance at ousting the Trudeau LPC. The strategy didn’t play out in the long run and had they proved scrappy against LPC scandals and vanity projects, they likely would’ve come out ahead long term in exchange for short term loss at the power levers.
Medea_From_Colchis on
So, the article suggests that on first glance/impression, most blue collar workers weren’t impressed by anyone other than Ashton with McPherson being the lowest rated. Even then, Conservatives are really dominating this crowd.
>Yet election night saw more ridings flip from the NDP to the Conservatives than from the NDP to the Liberals. This included Windsor West, a Brian Masse stronghold since 2002. The Liberals had this riding in their crosshairs. After all, they’d finished second there the last three elections, and before Brian Masse came along Windsor West had been a Herb Gray stronghold since 1907[1](https://pollarastrategicinsights.substack.com/p/blue-collar-da-ba-dee#footnote-1-184441403). Yet the Liberal vote only went up 3 points, with the Conservative vote jumping 20 points.
I think this highlights how much the blue collar crowd has flipped over to the conservatives. Blue collar ridings they had held for decades flipped and majorly so. Party support absolutely cratered. They’re going to have to figure that out or be a lot more competitive with white collar urban ridings.
seemefail on
You can’t be pro worker but anti job.
As a left leaning guy I hear far too many promises that will wind up killing jobs out of a party I’d like to supportÂ
thecheesecakemans on
Same way Trump won.
Workers have become more gullible and have lost the ability to self reflect. They now see themselves on the side of billionaires and big corporations rather than the worker.
Progressive parties have not done a good job at making that clear but then again the workers have also stopped listening instead choosing their company’s profits not realizing their jobs aren’t secure anyways.
Lafantasie on
NDP haven’t done anything to really protect jobs or encourage people to vote for them, and the few things they’ve done that’d be considered good was co-authored by the Liberals which coloured their messaging.
Add to that how social media algorithms focus on rage-bait and has been monopolized by right-wing talking points, there’s very little room for NDP to grapple back the reigns.
Eppk on
Men are negatively affected by predatory divorce laws taking their hard earned savings and assets.
Ending property division in divorces would help.
CptCoatrack on
Based on my experience, a lack of education and lack of critical thinking when it comes to the media they consume. They’re immersed in a negative feedback loop from talk radio, social media, Postmedia, and their colleagues. I have family (and coworkers) that have only got more and more extreme over the years to the point where it caused a rift between our side of the family and their own kids because every family gathering would turn into angry rants about communist Trudeau, and now they straight up hate the country and evrrything to do with it. Can’t even watch hockeThey *might feel* like they’re hard done by, but they’re financially more well off than many “white collar” workers I know either through their union or by starting their own business. They’re well off, have made a life for themselves and their family, yet still act like tbey’re hard done by. Don’t trust the government, don’t trust the healthcare system, perpetually aggrieved. Dream of moving to countries with infinitely more corrupt governments and less freedoms..
The right wing media machine is vastly more influential qnd powerful. Most left wing media is driven by subscribers and donations, not foreign money and billionaires on a mission to drive a wedge between the working class, provide them scapegoats, and vote against their own intetest.
Alive_Internet on
Progressive parties need to work on their messaging. The most conservative people I know are not boomers, but Gen Z men (some blue collar, but not all) who feel that left-leaning parties are actively working against them. Regardless of whether this is actually true, many young men vote conservative because they think it’s true.
Salford1969 on
I was a CAW member for close to 20 yrs and a few of the reps ended up in local politics then NDP MPs. I think one still is not sure about the other guy, this was back in 2010 when the plant closed.
dingobangomango on
I don’t think it can happen for another few year, and not without a radical shift from the NDP.
The progressives are stubborn and stuck in their ways much like the conservatives are. And Carney is doing a great job at capturing the centre.
And particularly in the current political climate we’re in, people are far more concerned with core policies and have no patience for boutique issue politicking we saw from the progressives during Trudeau and Singh’s time.
almisami on
As someone who works with blue collar folks, I’ll explain it this way:
All workers resent the guy that makes them to wear their safety harness.
They vote on this same sentiment.
TheZarosian on
I feel like the NDP just lost the narrative with their key demographic of labour and working-class. The kitchen-table issues like rising housing costs, food, unemployment, healthcare, wage stagnation just weren’t put forward as much as statements and division on niche identity politics and international issues.
The largest irony is that the most ardent NDP supporters I know grew up in extremely privileged households and assume that their idea of social progression is shared by the poor and working-class out there. Except it isn’t. When you’re a struggling visible minority to make rent and put food on the table for your family, the last thing you care about is systemic racism, white privilege, or gender-neutral bathrooms. Your biggest concern is whether you’ll still have a job and paycheque next month.
mwyvr on
One can look at the BCNDP led by Adrian Dix with a decent lead in the polls facing off against incumbent Christy Clark.
Dix ran heavily against TMX and other big projects while Clark donned a had hat and hi-viz vest and was able to paint Dix as Dr. No – no to development and no to high paying mostly unionized jobs.
My neighbour then was as union as they come, an industrial welder, and had been a hard core NDP supporter all his voting life.
For the first time he didn’t put up a lawn sign for the NDP and he made a point of turning everyone why he no longer supported the party. It was in his eyes a matter of survival for him and his coworkers.
I’ve no idea if he came back to the NDP before dying recently, but he never put up a sign again.
His son switched, too.
Don’t forget that pocketbook issues are top of mind for many but it’s not just the price of bread and beer but about the paycheque in the first place.
doogie1993 on
As someone that grew up in a hyper conservative town and knows a lot of blue collar workers, it’s because they’re dumb as hell and have been convinced to actively vote against their own interests
Background-Top-1946 on
Because the NDP is perceived as ineffective and weak, and more focused on social issues than securing benefits for workers.
I really hope the new leader can step it up.
If the carney liberals are going to reshape our economy, it’s critical for there to be a strong pro-labour party to protect worker interests.Â
AprilsMostAmazing on
In my OPINION. The answer is very clear. Conservatives treat politics like a team support, once they get a voter they use American owned conservative media to keep them. Rage bait and dog whistles are constantly used
19 Comments
Listen to them? It’s not just blue collars. NDP lost the plot for a number of wage earners, focusing on benefit earners.
If we’re thinking in terms of class it’s not defined by income.
In North America the usual sense of “middle class” and “blue collar” are not incompatible and they are substantially overlapping. Not always understood by the lefty urban white collar types. You can be very well off and “blue collar”.
All those plumbers and electricians and tradesmen and contractors and in the GTA 905 suburbs? They vote Tory solidly these days and they consider themselves blue collar.
That bloc used to be more evenly split among the parties but it has gone very Tory of late. I think it’s partly cultural in that they’ve stopped thinking of themselves as labour or petty bourgeoisie at best and are more in the mindset of being little CEOs and the bootstraps and hard work rhetoric of modern conservatism goes particularly well with that.
There seems to be a sense of cultural condescension from progressive voters moreso than progressive politicians when it comes to things like guns, trucks, and religion. I think the broader shift on the left towards safetyism pushes alot of blue collar and rural people away.
The NDP went from a unions and workers party to a party of undergraduate social issue Twitter platitudes. To boot, they joined themselves at the hip to the federal LPC who had effectively stolen their messaging and was noticeably anti worker and pro gentry leaving workers with no inherent home other than to migrate to the only other party that seemed to have a chance at ousting the Trudeau LPC. The strategy didn’t play out in the long run and had they proved scrappy against LPC scandals and vanity projects, they likely would’ve come out ahead long term in exchange for short term loss at the power levers.
So, the article suggests that on first glance/impression, most blue collar workers weren’t impressed by anyone other than Ashton with McPherson being the lowest rated. Even then, Conservatives are really dominating this crowd.
>Yet election night saw more ridings flip from the NDP to the Conservatives than from the NDP to the Liberals. This included Windsor West, a Brian Masse stronghold since 2002. The Liberals had this riding in their crosshairs. After all, they’d finished second there the last three elections, and before Brian Masse came along Windsor West had been a Herb Gray stronghold since 1907[1](https://pollarastrategicinsights.substack.com/p/blue-collar-da-ba-dee#footnote-1-184441403). Yet the Liberal vote only went up 3 points, with the Conservative vote jumping 20 points.
I think this highlights how much the blue collar crowd has flipped over to the conservatives. Blue collar ridings they had held for decades flipped and majorly so. Party support absolutely cratered. They’re going to have to figure that out or be a lot more competitive with white collar urban ridings.
You can’t be pro worker but anti job.
As a left leaning guy I hear far too many promises that will wind up killing jobs out of a party I’d like to supportÂ
Same way Trump won.
Workers have become more gullible and have lost the ability to self reflect. They now see themselves on the side of billionaires and big corporations rather than the worker.
Progressive parties have not done a good job at making that clear but then again the workers have also stopped listening instead choosing their company’s profits not realizing their jobs aren’t secure anyways.
NDP haven’t done anything to really protect jobs or encourage people to vote for them, and the few things they’ve done that’d be considered good was co-authored by the Liberals which coloured their messaging.
Add to that how social media algorithms focus on rage-bait and has been monopolized by right-wing talking points, there’s very little room for NDP to grapple back the reigns.
Men are negatively affected by predatory divorce laws taking their hard earned savings and assets.
Ending property division in divorces would help.
Based on my experience, a lack of education and lack of critical thinking when it comes to the media they consume. They’re immersed in a negative feedback loop from talk radio, social media, Postmedia, and their colleagues. I have family (and coworkers) that have only got more and more extreme over the years to the point where it caused a rift between our side of the family and their own kids because every family gathering would turn into angry rants about communist Trudeau, and now they straight up hate the country and evrrything to do with it. Can’t even watch hockeThey *might feel* like they’re hard done by, but they’re financially more well off than many “white collar” workers I know either through their union or by starting their own business. They’re well off, have made a life for themselves and their family, yet still act like tbey’re hard done by. Don’t trust the government, don’t trust the healthcare system, perpetually aggrieved. Dream of moving to countries with infinitely more corrupt governments and less freedoms..
The right wing media machine is vastly more influential qnd powerful. Most left wing media is driven by subscribers and donations, not foreign money and billionaires on a mission to drive a wedge between the working class, provide them scapegoats, and vote against their own intetest.
Progressive parties need to work on their messaging. The most conservative people I know are not boomers, but Gen Z men (some blue collar, but not all) who feel that left-leaning parties are actively working against them. Regardless of whether this is actually true, many young men vote conservative because they think it’s true.
I was a CAW member for close to 20 yrs and a few of the reps ended up in local politics then NDP MPs. I think one still is not sure about the other guy, this was back in 2010 when the plant closed.
I don’t think it can happen for another few year, and not without a radical shift from the NDP.
The progressives are stubborn and stuck in their ways much like the conservatives are. And Carney is doing a great job at capturing the centre.
And particularly in the current political climate we’re in, people are far more concerned with core policies and have no patience for boutique issue politicking we saw from the progressives during Trudeau and Singh’s time.
As someone who works with blue collar folks, I’ll explain it this way:
All workers resent the guy that makes them to wear their safety harness.
They vote on this same sentiment.
I feel like the NDP just lost the narrative with their key demographic of labour and working-class. The kitchen-table issues like rising housing costs, food, unemployment, healthcare, wage stagnation just weren’t put forward as much as statements and division on niche identity politics and international issues.
The largest irony is that the most ardent NDP supporters I know grew up in extremely privileged households and assume that their idea of social progression is shared by the poor and working-class out there. Except it isn’t. When you’re a struggling visible minority to make rent and put food on the table for your family, the last thing you care about is systemic racism, white privilege, or gender-neutral bathrooms. Your biggest concern is whether you’ll still have a job and paycheque next month.
One can look at the BCNDP led by Adrian Dix with a decent lead in the polls facing off against incumbent Christy Clark.
Dix ran heavily against TMX and other big projects while Clark donned a had hat and hi-viz vest and was able to paint Dix as Dr. No – no to development and no to high paying mostly unionized jobs.
My neighbour then was as union as they come, an industrial welder, and had been a hard core NDP supporter all his voting life.
For the first time he didn’t put up a lawn sign for the NDP and he made a point of turning everyone why he no longer supported the party. It was in his eyes a matter of survival for him and his coworkers.
I’ve no idea if he came back to the NDP before dying recently, but he never put up a sign again.
His son switched, too.
Don’t forget that pocketbook issues are top of mind for many but it’s not just the price of bread and beer but about the paycheque in the first place.
As someone that grew up in a hyper conservative town and knows a lot of blue collar workers, it’s because they’re dumb as hell and have been convinced to actively vote against their own interests
Because the NDP is perceived as ineffective and weak, and more focused on social issues than securing benefits for workers.
I really hope the new leader can step it up.
If the carney liberals are going to reshape our economy, it’s critical for there to be a strong pro-labour party to protect worker interests.Â
In my OPINION. The answer is very clear. Conservatives treat politics like a team support, once they get a voter they use American owned conservative media to keep them. Rage bait and dog whistles are constantly used