A month ago, Matt Barron, a Democratic political consultant, tweeted about the proposed new party leadership: "So the news House Democratic leadership will be from NY (45th most-rural state), MA (47th most-rural state) an CA (49th most-rural state). Democrats really have become the party of the coasts." He was referring to the likelihood that, with the announced retirement of Nancy Pelosi and her team as Speaker of the House, Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Pete Aguilar of California, and Katherine Clark of Massachusetts would take over the party's leadership mantle.
That led me, two weeks later, to post the tweet below once this leadership team became official, "Problem of lack of geographic diversity--like same poor level of geographic diversity of #SCOTUS right now. All urban states represented here, though I credit @RepPeteAguilar for being from the #InlandEmpire. Still not a good look in the era of rural-urban polarization."
Still, I didn't see any media coverage of this issue until the past week. First, Scott Simon interviewed Michigan congresswoman Debbie Dingell on Saturday about this new Heartland caucus, which gives a nod to rural areas--and more than a nod to flyover states. Here's an excerpt:
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Does the National Democratic Party have a problem in heartland America? Representative Debbie Dingell of Michigan, who ran and lost for a caucus leadership position in the House, displayed a map that shows the home states of caucus leaders. They're all from coastal states - New York, California, Massachusetts, Maryland. Representative Dingell is forming what's called the Heartland Caucus of Democrats, concerned their party isn't concerned enough with issues felt deeply in the Midwest. Representative Dingell joins us from her district in Michigan.
Thanks so much for being with us.
DEBBIE DINGELL: It's good to be with you.
SIMON: Republicans often call Democrats the coastal party. Is that true?
DINGELL: No, it's not. Would I be a member of Congress and a lot of my other colleagues if we did not have representation from the heartland? Though I think it's important at times that we need to make sure that our voices are heard. We are not going to win the majority back in the House without members of Congress from the heartland. But I think that our new leadership knows that and understands that.
SIMON: And what issues would you like to press?
DINGELL: Well, there are a number - I mean, manufacturing, union workers, trade. We're going to have reauthorization of the agricultural bill next year. There are very significant rural areas in our heartland. And their issues are - have different perspectives than California does. But we are a mosaic. We're just making sure that our perspective is heard and that we're educating people and that we're out there making sure that those in the heartland know that we do care.
SIMON: Representative Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, your colleague's been quoted this week saying she couldn't get fellow Democrats on the Special Committee on Economic Fairness to even mention the Midwest in their final report. Does that happen one way or another when Midwestern Democrats try to get attention to problems in their part of the country?
DINGELL: So I think it's important that we made our voice heard. But I can tell you that Hakeem and Katherine and Pete have all made it very clear that it is very important that the heartland be included. Hakeem has called me and said - all three of them - Katherine and...
The rural issue Dingell and Simon turn to here reminds me of this recent story, which is about the Democrats' move to shift the first presidential contest from Iowa to South Carolina.
Also regarding the new Democratic leadership, there's this from The Hill by Mike Lillis, "Heartland Democrats are feeling left out--again." The lede follows:
Midwest Democrats are warning that the party’s coastal image — encapsulated by its new leadership roster — could haunt them politically as they seek to make inroads in America’s heartland.
House Democrats this week elected a new team of leaders to guide them through the next Congress and into the 2024 presidential election, with the top five — and a presumed No. 6 — all hailing from either the East Coast or California.
Those optics are ringing alarms among the Democrats in the center of the country, who fear the party is only solidifying public perceptions that it’s run by urban “elites” out of touch with everyday Americans — perceptions that will hurt them in the same battleground districts that are crucial to winning back the majority.
“It’s always a current that we swim against every two years in middle America is the identity of our party,” said Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.), a 26-year veteran who’s retiring at the end of this term.
“For so many folks back home it’s viewed as an East coast, West coast Democratic Party, and not enough middle-America representation, people that they can identify with,” he continued. “It’s something I think the caucus needs to work on.”
Don't miss the rest of this story for more detail on the recent Democratic leadership contests.
Back to the Scott Simon interview with Debbie Dingell, which at one point swerves away from rurality to talk about jobs and socioeconomic class, with some nice language about what's at stake for working-class folks who want their kids to get college degrees.
DINGELL: You know, everybody wants to pit people against each other. I know many union workers who have children with college debt, have it themselves. I think this president has worked very hard to let the working men and women who are members of the union know that he cares for them and fights for them. We do have to talk to them. We cannot take them for granted. I had some of the toughest union town halls, quite frankly, this year than I had in '16. But I stay there. I talk to them. We have to make sure that they understand what is being done for them. And we've got to do a better job of communicating how we are helping them.
SIMON: What made those town halls rough, Representative Dingell? What did people say to you?
DINGELL: They were very much listening to Fox, as I heard some of those talking points. They didn't think that people cared. They saw money going to a lot of people. People were worried about inflation and gas prices. And they hear what's happening in California and think that they don't matter. Well, they do matter. And President Biden has made it very clear and has been fighting for those working jobs.
Quite frankly, I think it took the pandemic and people to see for real how we had shipped jobs overseas. Our supply chain had gone overseas. We're making very concerted efforts now to bring that supply chain home. Not only is it economic security, but it's national security.
SIMON: Has the Democratic Party sometimes seemed to favor high-tech over factory jobs?
DINGELL: You know, the Republican Party does that, too, sometimes. By the way, we spend too much time pitting people, pitting issues against each other. What we have to do is to make sure all the issues are heard and not make false choices but figure out a way that we bring everybody to the table.
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