News Opinons Politics

AOC’s Green New Deal Could have Dems Facing Blue-Collar Backlash at Polls

California knows about fault lines. And political observers in the Golden State say the Democrats’ proposed Green New Deal may be a fault line that splits the party’s support – in California and elsewhere.

The environmental high-mindedness of the plan for combatting climate change – put forth by Democratic U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ed Markey of Massachusetts – appeals to the “elite” professionals the party has been courting for years.

But the potential disruption for the American labor, in which untold numbers of employees might have to transition from “old economy” jobs to “green economy” jobs, may be offputting for many blue-collar workers – potentially turning many of them away from Democratic candidates at the polls, some political observers say.


“Unlike the Mueller report — and impeachment and indictment — people vote on whether or not they’re going to lose their job,” Jessica Levinson, a professor of politics and ethics at Loyola Law School, told Politico.

“Unlike the Mueller report — and impeachment and indictment — people vote on whether or not they’re going to lose their job.”


Elon Musk blasts Newsom’s office, says his son is battling mental illness due to ‘evil woke mind virus’
Scott Jennings Lays Out Why Jasmine Crocket Is Headed for a ‘Very Embarrassing’ Election Result
Ilhan Omar’s Republican Opponent Reveals Congresswoman’s ‘Deep Ties’ to Somali Fraud Scandal
House Republicans unveil national memorial plan honoring Americans killed by illegal immigrants
House Democrat pushes Senate to reverse Trump federal union order after GOP revolt by 20 Republicans
‘Every Dollar Possible’: Trump Admin Cracks Down on States That Put Illegal Drivers on the Road
Inside Minnesota’s $1B fraud: fake offices, phony firms and a scandal hiding in plain sight
Luigi Mangione judge weighs ‘potentially fatal’ evidence in fight over search of suspect’s backpack: attorney
Wounded National Guardsman is making ‘extraordinary progress,’ can breathe on his own: doctor
Former Teacher of the Year Arrested on Cruelty to Children Charges
Bolivian foreign minister says ‘arms are open’ to US and approves of Trump strategy in South America
Where things stand nationally on redistricting following Indiana defeat
SEE IT: Feeding Our Future fraudsters bought mansions and Mercedes with $250M in stolen meal funds
Progressive powerhouses launch primary war against Democratic establishment ahead of 2026 elections
Good News for Charlie Kirk’s Family: Legal Expert Says Evidence Against Robinson Is ‘Strongest’ He’s Ever Seen

In addition, Levinson said, many people who’ve spent years working in blue-collar union jobs “don’t necessarily want to be retrained” for so-called “green jobs.”

Signaling a potential blue-collar backlash, chants of “Garcetti’s gotta go” greeted Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti in April when he launched his “Green New Deal LA” plan, Politico reported.

See also  The most googled people in US for 2025

“[Garcetti’s] got the big corporations with him, and he’s not thinking of the effects on the common people,’’ Paul Valdez, 58, a building trades worker from Thousand Oaks, told Politico. “If they start taking away our jobs, who’s going to pay our bills?”

“[Garcetti’s] got the big corporations with him, and he’s not thinking of the effects on the common people.’’

Similarly, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio – a Democrat who’s now running for president – was openly mocked in May when he launched his local version of the Green New Deal.


Elon Musk blasts Newsom’s office, says his son is battling mental illness due to ‘evil woke mind virus’
Scott Jennings Lays Out Why Jasmine Crocket Is Headed for a ‘Very Embarrassing’ Election Result
Ilhan Omar’s Republican Opponent Reveals Congresswoman’s ‘Deep Ties’ to Somali Fraud Scandal
House Republicans unveil national memorial plan honoring Americans killed by illegal immigrants
House Democrat pushes Senate to reverse Trump federal union order after GOP revolt by 20 Republicans
‘Every Dollar Possible’: Trump Admin Cracks Down on States That Put Illegal Drivers on the Road
Inside Minnesota’s $1B fraud: fake offices, phony firms and a scandal hiding in plain sight
Luigi Mangione judge weighs ‘potentially fatal’ evidence in fight over search of suspect’s backpack: attorney
Wounded National Guardsman is making ‘extraordinary progress,’ can breathe on his own: doctor
Former Teacher of the Year Arrested on Cruelty to Children Charges
Bolivian foreign minister says ‘arms are open’ to US and approves of Trump strategy in South America
Where things stand nationally on redistricting following Indiana defeat
SEE IT: Feeding Our Future fraudsters bought mansions and Mercedes with $250M in stolen meal funds
Progressive powerhouses launch primary war against Democratic establishment ahead of 2026 elections
Good News for Charlie Kirk’s Family: Legal Expert Says Evidence Against Robinson Is ‘Strongest’ He’s Ever Seen

The mayor was forced to shout for much of his speech amid jeers from a crowd of about a dozen protesters inside the lobby of Trump Tower, which also had music blasting over the speakers. A number of protesters rode up and down the escalator behind de Blasio carrying cardboard signs with slogans like “Worst Mayor Ever,” “Failed Mayor,” and “Trump 2020.”

“They’re scared of the truth,” the mayor said. “Anyone that has a problem with saving the planet, I have a problem with them.”

“They’re scared of the truth. Anyone that has a problem with saving the planet, I have a problem with them.”

The Garcetti and de Blasio plans were part of an effort by Green New Deal backers to push the effort through left-leaning local and state governments rather than face the Republican-led U.S. Senate and the veto pen of President Trump.

In New Mexico, Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed her state’s version of the plan, the Energy Transition Act, into law in March.

See also  E. Jean Carroll’s DNA refusal tainted verdict against Trump, allies tell Supreme Court

“This is a really big deal,” Grisham said in a statement at the time. “In every corner of this state, advocates, utilities, young adults, unions, elected officials and families came together to push for and, today, enact this transformational law. The Energy Transition Act fundamentally changes the dynamic in New Mexico. This legislation is a promise to future generations of New Mexicans, who will benefit from both a cleaner environment and a more robust energy economy with exciting career and job opportunities.”


Elon Musk blasts Newsom’s office, says his son is battling mental illness due to ‘evil woke mind virus’
Scott Jennings Lays Out Why Jasmine Crocket Is Headed for a ‘Very Embarrassing’ Election Result
Ilhan Omar’s Republican Opponent Reveals Congresswoman’s ‘Deep Ties’ to Somali Fraud Scandal
House Republicans unveil national memorial plan honoring Americans killed by illegal immigrants
House Democrat pushes Senate to reverse Trump federal union order after GOP revolt by 20 Republicans
‘Every Dollar Possible’: Trump Admin Cracks Down on States That Put Illegal Drivers on the Road
Inside Minnesota’s $1B fraud: fake offices, phony firms and a scandal hiding in plain sight
Luigi Mangione judge weighs ‘potentially fatal’ evidence in fight over search of suspect’s backpack: attorney
Wounded National Guardsman is making ‘extraordinary progress,’ can breathe on his own: doctor
Former Teacher of the Year Arrested on Cruelty to Children Charges
Bolivian foreign minister says ‘arms are open’ to US and approves of Trump strategy in South America
Where things stand nationally on redistricting following Indiana defeat
SEE IT: Feeding Our Future fraudsters bought mansions and Mercedes with $250M in stolen meal funds
Progressive powerhouses launch primary war against Democratic establishment ahead of 2026 elections
Good News for Charlie Kirk’s Family: Legal Expert Says Evidence Against Robinson Is ‘Strongest’ He’s Ever Seen

“The Energy Transition Act fundamentally changes the dynamic in New Mexico. This legislation is a promise to future generations of New Mexicans, who will benefit from both a cleaner environment and a more robust energy economy with exciting career and job opportunities.”

— Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-New Mexico

But not all workers find a potential transition to be exciting.

See also  Walz says he would ‘welcome more’ Somalis as fraud investigation intensifies

On Saturday, dozens of members of California’s Building and Construction Trades Council, which represents more than 400,000 workers, planned a “Blue Collar Revolution” demonstration at the California Democratic Party Convention site in San Francisco.

Robbie Hunter, president of the labor group, told Politico what the Green New Deal represented to the group’s members.

“All it does is do what the Democratic Party seems to be very good at lately — which is export our jobs, while doing nothing for the end game, which is the environmental,’’ Hunter said.


Elon Musk blasts Newsom’s office, says his son is battling mental illness due to ‘evil woke mind virus’
Scott Jennings Lays Out Why Jasmine Crocket Is Headed for a ‘Very Embarrassing’ Election Result
Ilhan Omar’s Republican Opponent Reveals Congresswoman’s ‘Deep Ties’ to Somali Fraud Scandal
House Republicans unveil national memorial plan honoring Americans killed by illegal immigrants
House Democrat pushes Senate to reverse Trump federal union order after GOP revolt by 20 Republicans
‘Every Dollar Possible’: Trump Admin Cracks Down on States That Put Illegal Drivers on the Road
Inside Minnesota’s $1B fraud: fake offices, phony firms and a scandal hiding in plain sight
Luigi Mangione judge weighs ‘potentially fatal’ evidence in fight over search of suspect’s backpack: attorney
Wounded National Guardsman is making ‘extraordinary progress,’ can breathe on his own: doctor
Former Teacher of the Year Arrested on Cruelty to Children Charges
Bolivian foreign minister says ‘arms are open’ to US and approves of Trump strategy in South America
Where things stand nationally on redistricting following Indiana defeat
SEE IT: Feeding Our Future fraudsters bought mansions and Mercedes with $250M in stolen meal funds
Progressive powerhouses launch primary war against Democratic establishment ahead of 2026 elections
Good News for Charlie Kirk’s Family: Legal Expert Says Evidence Against Robinson Is ‘Strongest’ He’s Ever Seen

Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College in California, says Democrats should heed a lesson from West Virginia.

“West Virginia, until 2000, was considered solidly blue,” Pitney told Politico, until the George W. Bush campaign reminded the state’s coal miners of opponent Al Gore’s ties to the environmental movement, which the miners viewed as a threat to their jobs. The state’s voters ended up backing Bush, 52 percent to 46 percent.

“So yes,” Pitney told the magazine, “this is a real hazard for Democrats, something that somebody from a state with extractive industries may want to recognize.”

Story cited here.

Share this article:
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter