How will one of the party’s new progressive Congressional leaders respond to this challenge? NPR’s Steve Inskeep speaks with Texas Representative Greg Casar.
Steve Inkeep, host:
In this country, Democrats are trying to figure out how to do better in the next election. One of their emerging leaders feels he knows why progressives lost the working class. Congressman Greg Cassar represents parts of Austin and San Antonio, Texas. Now, at 35, he will lead the House Progressive Caucus, which includes big names like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Greg Cassar wants to change the party’s approach.
Greg Cassar: I started running for city council when I was 24 years old. Before that, I was a worker organizer on a construction site. There, it was our job to organize workers, from fifth-generation Texans from majority-white unions to Spanish-speaking workers who had just moved here. The way we perceive cultural divides on construction sites is the same way I think Democrats need to address those divides. We cannot ignore the differences in people’s views on what they value and where they come from. from. But if we all unite and fight for one thing, we can get raises and more fair treatment at work.
INSKEEP: Are you saying you might find people on construction sites who are Catholic and more conservative and opposed to abortion rights, or are they children of immigrants who have a problem with illegal immigration? Maybe they are – but do you still want to approach them on other issues?
Casal: What I’ve found is that the vast majority of people on construction sites want everyone to be treated well. And they want to make sure they and all of their co-workers get raises and that construction sites are safe. It’s not just about your co-workers being safe on a construction site, it’s also about if someone finds themselves in a dangerous situation. it could hurt you. These fundamentals are what united the FDR and JFK coalitions in the Democratic Party. That’s how the Texas Democratic Party has maintained control of this state for a long time, back to when I was born, and I think we have to find a way to get back to that state. That doesn’t mean throwing vulnerable people under the bus.
INSKEEP: Now, if you’re listening to this and you’ve been following the presidential campaign that the Democrats lost, you might say, wait a minute. Democrats had a whole list of proposals and programs that would lower costs for people, give them opportunities for raises, support unions, and much more. Also, I’m wondering if there’s something else you’re saying. So the Democrats were missing a big story about what all these plans were going to lead to?
Mr. Casal: Democrats have a big problem with the narrative. There are some substantive issues that I would like to talk about, but as far as the story goes, the Trump Republican Party had a clear story. Democrats need to explain that the person denying your health insurance claim is not transgender. It was a giant corporate insurance company deregulated by Republicans. Democrats needed to make the case that asylum seekers were not driving up rents. In fact, it’s Wall Street hedge funds that are buying up these homes and jacking up the rents. And the people President Trump has appointed to lead his Cabinet are Wall Street hedge fund CEOs.
INSKEEP: I wonder if the Democratic Party has actually engaged in the culture wars in a way that is politically harmful. Because we are a democracy and almost every adult has the right to vote. And the Democratic Party probably wanted to be a little more aggressive in saying that if you don’t have my views on race, social justice, police, transgender rights, and many other things, you’re out. I don’t need you.
Mr. Casal: Democrats need to make sure that whether they agree with us on every issue or not, they are welcome as members of the party, both in message and substance. We must have a tent large enough to accommodate people across geographic, racial, and ideological viewpoints. My district has a lot of conservative voters who voted for Donald Trump and Greg Abbott, and they also vote for me, a very progressive Democrat. We are here to add more people to our community and to our parties. We can be very vocal about our values, but please understand that politics is a game of addition, not subtraction.
INSKEEP: Could Republicans have done a better job of finding and bringing new voters to their side in 2024, people who rarely or never vote?
Casal: The Republicans were able to bring more working-class people into the coalition. There are so many people who just say, “Look, all political parties are the same.” What’s the point in participating in all this? We need to show those people that we are different.
INSKEEP: One more thing. Are we just overanalyzing the 2024 election? The fact is that since the financial crisis, in most, if not all, elections, people have repeatedly asked those in power I have voted against it many times.
Casal: We’re not overanalyzing the Democratic Party solely on this election, because the Democratic Party has gradually lost its share of working-class voters since the financial crisis. The other thing is that since the financial crisis, there has been continued unrest in the American electorate. Think about it. There’s the Tea Party movement, Occupy Wall Street, Black Lives Matter, and more. People are angry that the political system is not working the way it should. We have to become a party that says we’re going to make sure our democracy works for you, not just the lobbyists and the people with the money.
INSKEEP: Texas Rep. Greg Cassar has been re-elected to a second term in the House of Representatives, becoming the youngest person ever to lead the House Progressive Caucus. thanks so much.
Casal: Thank you.
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