A new report from a liberal think tank is urging Democrats to stay away from far-left populism and social issues.
The think tank, “Third Way,” has encouraged Democrats to dub themselves the “jobs party,” Politico reports.
The Third Way report, titled, “Get to Work, Democrats: Become the Jobs Party,” states as a takeaway point, “Voters feel the Party is not looking out for the middle and working class. Instead, it’s prioritizing the poor (and to some extent, the rich).”
Another point stated is, “Voters intuitively view Democrats as anti-business.”
The findings also urged Democrats to stop focusing so much on social issues and to fully emphasize economic concerns instead.
This report comes as speculation over the Democrats’ 2020 strategy is beginning to come into focus. The split is often understood as being between elite liberalism and populist leftist progressivism. Last time around, that split was embodied by Hillary Clinton as the former and Bernie Sanders as the latter.
There is not yet a clear division between the two camps in the Democratic party right now, but there has already been tension over California Sen. Kamala Harris, who is thought by many to be a frontrunner for the 2020 primary, but hasn’t yet proven her populist credentials with former supporters of Bernie Sanders. (RELATED: Not All Leftists Are Thrilled About 2020 Dem Wundergirl Kamala Harris)