Posted on 01/09/2016 7:43:56 AM PST by GonzoII
The far-left progressive leader of the huge SEIU union admits that many or most of her blue-collar members are sympathetic to Donald Trump's pro-American populist message.
"I am deeply concerned about what is stirring, even in our membership... where our members are responding to Trump's message," she told David Axelrod, the chief campaign strategist for President Barack Obama's election in 2008.
Can you see Trump winning the election? Axelrod asked. "Yea, I could, I could," said Mary Kay Henry, the international president of the Service Employees International Union.
"Sixty-four percent of our public members identify as conservative, and are much more interested in the Republican debate than the Democratic debate at the moment," she admitted.
"Our white conservative membership that we hear is responding to Trump's appeal are more concentrated in the Midwest and the South," she said. That's critical, because the GOP candidate must do well in the Midwest to overcome the Democrats' advantages in the immigration-heavy coastal states. That claim of support is backed up by a recent Democratic survey.
To stomp on Trump's support, union's leaders are personally pressuring the members, she said.
"We're doing one-on-ones with every one of our members right now," said Henry. "We're going into hyperdrive, especially in the pockets of our membership that have a lot of Muslim leaders to stand against what is being said" by Trump, she said.
The interview was conducted Jan 4. The comments about Trump's message are mostly just after the 40-minute mark.
Henry's huge union claims a membership of roughly 2 million blue-collar workers, but is actually run by a professional cadre of far-left progressives. That leadership means the union's priorities including many progressive goals, such as greater immigration, more federal regulation of police and boosting the Democrats' power, beyond the labor-market task of fighting for wage and benefits...
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
This is exactly what I am seeing in Democrat households.
Not all of them are RATS.
There is a serious fracture between Union members and Union leaders.
Unless it’s because unions have finally awakened to the fact that crippling owners and fighting management evolve only to their own detriment, I would have trouble supporting any candidate endorsed by those tin-horn trotskyites.
I spent 30 plus years as a U.A.W. member and have never, in my entire life voted for a democrat. What I observed was union members who were conservative in almost every aspect of conservatism except one and that was unionism. That issue alone led them to vote for rats.
Not too hard to understand when they were making $25 per hour with good benefits, while non union temps, working in the same factories were making $12 and no benefits.
Agreed. This is exactly what’s happening.
Agreed. This is exactly what’s happening.
I don’t think the union itself will endorse Trump. I think they are upset that the rank and file aren’t on board with the union leadership.
I’m sure the “leadership” (a term I use loosely when describing the nominal heads of unions) is all in the bag for Hillary. Or even Bernie. If the rank-and-file are Trump supporters, there’s a schism there that a wise politician could exploit.
Your post #8 really nails it perfectly as to whats going on. Very good!
Yes, thats it.
Look at Marxist\Lenninst theory. You have a leadership cadre (”Vanguard”) that controls and directs the proletariat. For it’s own good. Because it’s too stupid to think and do what’s in it’s own best interests.
The SEIU leadership, who are non-worker, far Left “Progressives” (ie Marxist Vanguard) are scared and ticked that their members may walk into voting booths and cast their votes against the direction of leadership.
And we need to understand the meaning of “one-on-one” discussions, which is the big and very chilling point being made. The SEIU boss is acknowleging identification and direct intimidation of those seeking to go off the Union reservation on election day.
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