Opinion | John Fetterman and a New Model of Blue-Collar Masculinity

Progressives often presume that trying to pull much achromatic working-class voters to the Democratic Party is simply a fool’s errand, and that doing truthful volition compromise their values oregon suffer votes among radical of color. John Fetterman’s palmy senatorial run successful Pennsylvania shows these assumptions are false. Fetterman’s strategy attracted 91 percent of Black voters successful the state, according to exit polls, and peeled disconnected capable agrarian working-class achromatic voters from the GOP to win, exceeding Joe Biden’s 2020 totals crossed the state. How did helium bash it? Remembering James Carville’s aged remark that Pennsylvania is fundamentally Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Alabama successful between, the reply has sweeping implications for Democrats crossed the country.

Fetterman did what has agelong been considered impossible: He joined progressive argumentation positions with taste signaling that appealed to blue-collar voters of each races. This helped span the “diploma divide” astatine the bosom of the governmental realignment shaping American politics, with assemblage grads flocking to Democrats and non-college grads progressively embracing the GOP. The disagreement is largest among achromatic radical but besides affects radical of color: Support for Democrats among non-college educated voters of colour fell 19 percent points betwixt 2012 and 2020.

Fetterman’s progressivism includes enactment for raising the minimum wage, Medicare for all, an overhaul of the transgression justness system, weapon restrictions, same-sex marriage, protections for transgender radical and a rewrite of the nation’s migration laws. Policy-wise, helium would acceptable close successful wherever I live, successful San Francisco, particularly fixed his thoughts astir the “dark broadside of capitalism.” But it didn’t outgo him a triumph successful Pennsylvania.

What’s notable astir Fetterman’s masculinity is however it differs from the benignant cultivated by Donald Trump and the GOP. Unlike Trump’s fragile, macho belligerence, Fetterman offers a consciousness of stoic decency and empathy.

Fetterman’s attack isn’t the lone way for Democrats hoping to scope achromatic working-class voters. But it’s besides existent that masculinity is simply a hugely potent unit successful American politics. It’s clip for Democrats to halt ceding it to the acold close and connection their ain compelling version.

Flip the Elitism Script

Rush Limbaugh, Fox News and different blimpish outlets person agelong thrived by tapping into blue-collar choler astir elite condescension. Sociologist and writer Arlie Hochschild recalls a gospel vocalist successful Southwest Louisiana who declared that she loved Rush Limbaugh: Her “basic feeling [was] that Limbaugh was defending her against insults she felt liberals were lobbing astatine her: ‘Oh, liberals deliberation that Bible-loving Southerners are ignorant, backward, rednecks, losers. They deliberation we are racist, sexist, homophobic and possibly fat.’” Media scholars Reece Peck and Anthony Nadler person documented however Fox News commentators from Bill O’Reilly to Tucker Carlson person efficaciously offered a deal: They volition basal up for working-class voters against wide elites who belittle and demean them successful instrumentality for enactment for Trump and his allies.

Fetterman deftly flipped the Fox News script, portraying Mehmet Oz arsenic the elite campaigner of the campaign. When Oz tried to link with voters connected rising ostentation by acting shocked astir however overmuch helium spent buying “crudités” astatine “Wegners,” Fetterman tweeted, “In PA, we telephone that a veggie tray.” It besides didn’t assistance that Wegners doesn’t exist; Oz had mashed unneurotic the names of 2 market chains, suggesting a millionaire who doesn’t bash his ain shopping. Fetterman deed Oz for owning 10 houses and counterattacked erstwhile Oz criticized Fetterman for not wearing a suit. “Wearing a suit doesn’t marque maine immoderate smarter,” helium said. “This is who I am.” His modular outfit is cargo shorts and a hoodie.

Earlier successful his career, Fetterman defended the grant of Braddock, the Rust Belt municipality wherever helium was mayor, by favorably comparing it to San Francisco: “In Cambridge oregon San Francisco, you can’t get a gym rank for what you tin get a location for successful our community.” Most importantly, portion lieutenant governor, Fetterman visited each 67 Pennsylvania counties — and listened. “We’re an overlooked population,” said 1 voter astatine a rally successful Gettysburg. “We are surrounded by a batch of radical who don’t spot immoderate worth successful our viewpoint. He’s listening to us.” Empathy begets empathy, too. After Fetterman’s stroke, erstwhile galore thought it would doom his candidacy, voters successful PA saw successful his wellness scare a reflection of their ain struggles.

Fetterman shows respect for regular radical without compromising his values. This should not beryllium hard for Democrats to do, but instead, excessively galore connected the near insult the quality of non-college educated voters by calling them gullible (“Big Lie” believers), obstinate (“climate deniers”) and backward (“I judge successful science”). This conscionable drives galore voters further into the arms of Fox News and Trump.

Forge a Cultural Connection

Fetterman besides connected with blue-collar voters by signaling an clasp of blue-collar values. There are galore ways Democrats tin bash this, but Fetterman himself did it by appealing to blue-collar masculinity. The irony is that Fetterman himself does not travel from a blue-collar background, but helium was capable to link with blue-collar tropes and traditions.

We’ve heard truthful overmuch astir the relation of contention successful Trump’s entreaty but acold little astir gender. That’s an important oversight. As I person noted connected my site, “Bridging the Diploma Divide In American Politics”:

“Endorsement of hegemonic masculinity (aka macho) predicts Trump voting some successful men and women, much truthful than racism and different prejudice. Hegemonic masculinity reflects the ideal that men should beryllium mentally, physically, and emotionally strong, pugnacious and successful control: frankincense Trump brags astir the size of his atomic button, proclaims ‘domination’ implicit COVID, mocks arsenic anemic men who deterioration masks oregon alteration diapers. In lawsuit you missed the message, Trump plays the opus ‘Macho Man’ astatine his rallies. ‘Men should beryllium men; women should beryllium women’ sexism (aka hostile sexism) was 2nd lone to governmental predisposition successful predicting enactment for Trump, for some men and women.”

Democrats are fooling themselves if they deliberation they tin disregard the powerfulness of masculinity. As idiosyncratic who spent decades studying sex bias, I don’t emotion this reality; I admit that it reinforces aged scripts. But Democrats don’t person to clasp sexism to decision Trumpism. Instead, they should contention Trump’s mentation of masculinity with an alternate erstwhile they can, and effort to entreaty to antheral voters successful much constructive ways than Trump. That’s what Fetterman does.

On the surface, Fetterman embodies the carnal ideals of working-class masculinity and toughness: At 6 foot, 8 inches tall, “He’s a antheral who could walk arsenic a Hells Angel,” noted a POLITICO newsman successful April 2021. People said “he looks similar a atrocious feline from cardinal casting or, astatine least, an intimidating bouncer … dressing similar a serial slayer successful cargo shorts successful subfreezing weather.” He owns a azygous suit helium seldom wears. During his clip arsenic mayor, Fetterman drove a pickup truck. He’s received massive publicity astir his 9 tattoos listing the sanction of each idiosyncratic who died by unit during his tenure. One Black antheral whom Fetterman got retired of situation (one of many), said, “He looked similar an mean guy.” An mean blue-collar guy.

Oddly, it was Oz who champion articulated immoderate of this unspoken connection portion trying to framework Fetterman arsenic a radical: “He’s kicking authorization successful the balls. He’s saying, ‘Hey, I’m the man, I’ll amusement those guys who’s boss.’” Oz didn’t look to get that this is portion of Fetterman’s appeal.

But Fetterman takes this beyond image. He links benignant and argumentation by centering his request for bully blue-collar jobs successful areas near behind. A retired mill idiosyncratic who voted for Fetterman told the New York Times that helium hoped Fetterman “would travel up with immoderate ideas” to assistance “poor radical moving 2 oregon 3 jobs conscionable to get by.” Fetterman highlighted jobs successful his Senate triumph enactment speech, saying his run was “for each occupation that has been lost, for each mill that was ever closed and for each idiosyncratic that worked hard but ne'er gets ahead.” This has been a cardinal taxable of Fetterman’s governmental beingness from the beginning, ever since helium moved to Braddock, the tract of Andrew Carnegie’s archetypal alloy mill, present long-since closed. Without Fetterman’s oft-demonstrated committedness to family-sustaining jobs — the instauration of masculine dignity for blue-collar arsenic good arsenic white-collar men— his quest to woo backmost non-college grads would person been doomed.

Another working-class perfect Fetterman taps is the protector and provider. Sociologist Michèle Lamont’s classical survey The Dignity of Working Men documents that some achromatic and Black blue-collar men respect these ideals. Fetterman showcased this attack done his absorption connected stopping transgression successful Braddock. “As a mayor, I ever felt a consciousness of work and work for tragedies that happened nether my watch,” helium wrote successful an op-ed, stressing that astir of those who died were young Black men. “I worked intimately with the constabulary and recovered ways to assistance them get the backing that they needed to bash their jobs effectively. I besides made definite we were investing successful young radical and successful programs to support them disconnected the streets.” Fetterman supports weapon power but besides lets it beryllium known helium has owned a gun. His “protector” relation has brought connected controversy, though: Fetterman erstwhile pulled a shotgun connected a Black jogger connected the unfounded presumption the jogger was progressive successful a shooting nearby.

In Braddock, Fetterman besides played the don who takes attraction of his people. “He’s disposable to instrumentality kids to get a drivers’ licence — and wage for it,” noted Rolling Stone. He and his wife, Gisele, opened a “free store” that gives distant diapers, apparel and different goods. “The archetypical governmental brag — similar the perfect working-class begetter and hubby is simply a supplier and protector,” wrote Stephanie Muravchik and Jon A. Shields successful their book, Trump’s Democrats.

This is 1 of the cardinal distinctions betwixt Fetterman’s and Trump’s masculinities. Though Fetterman embraces his “tough-guy” image, helium follows a little aggressive, truculent exemplary of masculinity than Trump. Fetterman looks to support and supply for his community, portion Trump cares mostly astir dominance, arsenic seen successful his insult-based rhetoric and his bragging astir intersexual assault.

One mode that Trump and Fetterman are similar, though, is that some pat into the blue-collar contented of consecutive talk. They person the quality of the independent, courageous antheral who is unafraid to accidental what helium thinks. One Trump protagonist said helium liked the erstwhile president because, “He doesn’t speech retired of some sides of his mouth. … He comes crossed very, precise rough.” For Trump and the acold right, this is often intertwined with insults to masculinity. Meanwhile, here’s Fetterman: “Oz is simply a simp for Big Oil. He swipes close connected these greedy corporations making grounds profits portion PA families wage much astatine the pump. I’ll really basal up to the lipid executives + ace down connected their disgusting terms gouging.”

Blue-collar guys don’t fto an insult spell unanswered, and neither does Fetterman. When Tucker Carlson derided him by calling his tattoos “a costume,” Fetterman came retired swinging. He told the stories of the murdered radical his tattoos memorialized, concluding: “Gun unit and convulsive transgression mightiness beryllium jokes to idiosyncratic similar Carlson, but they are precise existent to radical successful towns similar Braddock.”

Fetterman’s much-admired social-media prowess besides taps into blue-collar men’s contented of ribbing each other, described successful item successful an excellent publication connected ember mines by Jessica Smith Rolston. Such repartee follows a agelong masculine contented centered connected negotiating comparative status. Fetterman and his campaigns delighted successful this one-upmanship against Oz, notably hiring Jersey Shore’s Snooki to do a video skewering Oz’ New Jersey roots and which got 2.5 cardinal views.

Yet different mode that Fetterman taps into bluish collar ideals of masculinity is by being thing of a loner, known for walking his ain path. Sometimes he’s been criticized for his go-it-alone attitude. “He doesn’t play good with others,” one Braddock resident told the New York Times Magazine in 2011. But a consciousness of independency and not being constrained by politeness and sociability are highly valued attributes for galore Americans. Indeed, this is Trump’s style, which galore blue-collar folks love.

Unlike Trump, however, Fetterman marries the “real man” with the “good man.” When an Oz adjutant sneered that if Fetterman had “ever eaten a rootlike successful his life” helium wouldn’t person had a stroke, Fetterman went high contempt Oz’s low: “I had a stroke. I survived it. I’m truthful genuinely grateful to inactive beryllium present today. I cognize authorities tin beryllium nasty, but adjacent then, I could *never* ideate ridiculing idiosyncratic for their wellness challenges.” Notably, since his stroke, Fetterman besides has shown a vulnerability that’s portion of progressive traditions of masculinity arsenic helium struggled to find words and with auditory processing. This whitethorn person worked truthful good for Fetterman due to the fact that helium had agelong since established his masculine cred; fascinating studies amusement that successful indisputably masculine jobs similar firefighting, men are allowed to amusement vulnerability without losing face.

What Progressives Need to Remember

Fetterman’s precise mode of campaigning, of course, isn’t disposable to candidates crossed the board. Women candidates tin beryllium punished for seeming excessively assertive oregon excessively “masculine,” and long-held biases mean a Black campaigner who looks and dresses similar Fetterman mightiness conflict to get elected to the Senate. But Fetterman isn’t the lone progressive who has had occurrence connecting with blue-collar voters — galore person recovered their ain paths. Just see the steely-edged Gretchen Whitmer, whom the AFL-CIO champions due to the fact that “she would physique a Michigan system that works for everyone, not conscionable the privileged few.”

Fetterman and Whitmer some recovered ways to lick a profoundly structural problem. Until the 1970s, Democrats were an confederation of blue-collar workers and wide intellectuals who agreed connected economical issues; their precedence was to guarantee bully jobs and unchangeable retirement. Then my procreation came of property successful the 1970s and shifted the Democrats distant from a absorption connected blue-collar economics and toward countercultural societal issues. The GOP yet learned to weaponize this dynamic into the civilization wars. Republicans created their conjugation by giving blue-collar “values voters” sway connected societal issues portion country-club Republicans got taxation cuts and pro-business policies.

Fetterman’s triumph shows that progressive Democrats tin sway capable non-college grads to win. If Democrats don’t link with non-elites and connection them an honored societal identity, Fox News and the GOP will. A forthcoming Rural Urban Bridge Initiative finds that Democrats who awesome that they stock their neighbors’ values execute amended than expected successful agrarian America. Increasing taste competence with blue-collar voters whitethorn not consciousness arsenic comfy for immoderate progressive candidates arsenic utilizing existing scripts that unconsciously transmission the talk, thought, formal and priorities of college-educated elites. But the constituent of electoral authorities is not comfort; it’s coalition. And it is not purity; it’s victory.