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Brown on Democratic Struggles With Working-Class Voters: Leadership Not 'Visionary Enough'

August 6, 2017

California Gov. Jerry Brown (D.) said Sunday that his party's leadership had not been "visionary enough" in responding to the effects of the changing global economy in a discussion of Democratic struggles with their former working-class base.

White working-class voters helped propel President Donald Trump into the White House as he swung states in 2016 that had been blue for decades like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Trump's campaign focused on themes of globalization and trade deals that were unfair to the American worker.

Democrats also now hold just 15 governorships compared to a whopping 34 for the GOP after West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice became a Republican last week.

"Meet The Press" host Chuck Todd asked Brown why those voters had such distrust for Democrats now.

"It happened because the global economy is changing," Brown said, pointing to the loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs to globalization and trends like automation.

"Democrats have been the champion of working people, and they haven't been able to deliver in [the] face of these global trends, and, yes, you'd have to say that leadership has not been clever enough or strong enough or perhaps visionary enough," he added.

Brown corrected himself to say it was not just a matter of cleverness.

"It takes values, believing in right and wrong and a sense of what America's all about, and it takes a certain vision, how the hell do we get out of this," he said. "And it takes some political skill at the same time."

Brown later defended House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.), who has come under criticism from some within the party due to Democratic struggles this year in special elections. Brown said she wasn't "perfect" but that she was a pillar of the party and the Democrats needed better candidates.