The Projects

[metis]

Lawrence O'Donnell, who has a long career in politics, earlier today mentioned that not one of the candidates running for either party has taken up a request to visit "the Projects", namely poor family apartments found throughout NYC. Also, he went on to mention that his experience has it that maybe about 3 standing senators at best, none of them being Republican, have ever visited the projects there or in cities where they live.

Why do you think this is the case?

For more info on O'Donnell, see here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_O'Donnell

 

[freethinker44]

That's a dirty lie and you know it!
I'm sure Trump has bulldozed plenty of projects in his career.

 

[metis]

That's a dirty lie and you know it!
I'm sure Trump has bulldozed plenty of projects in his career.

LOL!

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

O'Donnell also indicated that in her eight years as junior senator Clinton did not once visit these projects.

 

[David1967]

Not sure. Do they think its too dangerous or do they think that the people there wont vote?

 

[lewisnotmiller]

It is cynical, but my take is that the cost/benefit is not there.
I suppose there is a degree of political risk associating yourself with social problems you are unable to fix. On the other hand, my guess (complete guess, to be clear) is that there is neither enough political capital involved (in terms of votes) nor enough fiscal capital involved (in terms of donations, etc) to make it worthwhile.

 

[metis]

In the 2008 election, even Obama rarely ever talked about the poor or visited such projects even though he had worked with them as a community organizer. And just how often did we hear "middle class" versus "lower" or "working class" coming even from him?

Frankly, this country has turned its back on the poor and it's getting worse, and politicians apparently don't like to bring that news up because it ain't a popular message for most of us in the middle class or upper class to hear. I guess it's just a modern version of "Let them eat cake!".

 

[Underhill]

I think Bernie has spent a lot of time talking about the poor. But visiting the projects has to be a low priority for a politician. Like it or not, they don't tend to vote and they don't donate to campaigns (stating the obvious I know) so visiting there is wasted time at a time when most candidates are trying to maximize their electoral efficiency.

 

[metis]

I think Bernie has spent a lot of time talking about the poor. But visiting the projects has to be a low priority for a politician. Like it or not, they don't tend to vote and they don't donate to campaigns (stating the obvious I know) so visiting there is wasted time at a time when most candidates are trying to maximize their electoral efficiency.

I agree to above to a large extent, but I also think there's more. In our cultural history, there appears to be a latent effect of what Max Weber called "The Protestant Ethic", namely that pleasing God will make one a "success", and failing to please God would lead to "failure". Cognitively, I don't think most Americans today buy into that, but if this concept is planted into our subconscious, as it has been for over two centuries now, those gut feelings will still be found in a great many people.

Therefore, any candidate on the left can be hurt by charges of providing "give-away" programs that assist the "takers" but not the "hard-working Americans". Watch Fox and you'll hear these expressions a lot, and this message can get into the gut of many people, especially those who maybe are slipping economically downward or who are afraid of losing their job.