As to upscale voters voting against their economic interest, the rich can afford to be be idealistic without actually needing to rub elbows with the great unwashed. They don't risk financial ruin by doing so, and it makes them feel good about themselves.

It's different for the financially insecure. They really need to vote for their pocket book. Some, however, don't, because they identifiy with the rich and famous, like movie stars, and feel good about themselves that way.

I heartily dislike Reagan's brand of inspiration. It convinces people they can live on thin air, hope and pride being the compensation. That's using people.

I guess I am elitist, because connecting with people shouln't mean that you adopt all their mores. A good leader educates as he leads; he doesn't pander.or sink to te lowest common denominator for votes.;

But I'm trying to reconcile two comments made in the post. First:

“The reason the GOP has been able to woo this group is because, for better or worse, they can speak in that empathic language that connects with them.”

and, second:

“The Democrats have never really understood that the working class are not simplistic robots, but complex beings.”

They (you know, the working class) are complex beings who respond to empathic language (rather than policy positions?). To me, it seems the author is saying that Democrats have condescended to the “working class” by treating them as simplistic robots instead of done the smart thing and condescended to them by treating them like emotionally driven simpletonsl. This attitude is again summed up in this quote:

“We laugh now when we think back to 1992 and Bill Clinton saying that he “felt their pain.” But the fact is, it worked. He identified with the working class, he didn’t try to talk down to them.”

What worked? The fact that he said he felt their pain. That's not identifying with them, that's, at best, understanding their plight and forming policies around them, and, at worst, typical pandering.

Let's all (working class and those other classes) start taking the job of electing leaders a little more seriously, shall we?