Why draw a distinction between the working class and the white working class?

[Garrett78]

25. But we must recognize that not everyone drawing the distinction is doing so maliciously.

Some simply fail to see the problem with drawing the distinction, and others may not recognize that years of dog whistling has infiltrated their consciousness. And I'm not even talking about Trump voters. I'm talking about Clinton voters, third party voters, and non-voters. There's no excuse for supporting Trump (his campaign was openly bigoted, he's a sexual predator, he's committed fraud, he not so subtly encouraged violence against Clinton with a comment about the 2nd Amendment, he never released his tax returns, he has no relevant experience, etc.).

Aside from the bullshit about marginalizing white voters, Bill O'Reilly of all people recently spoke some truth. He was talking about the desire to do away with the electoral college, which is a vestige of slavery, but I think what he said applies in a broader sense, as well.

“The left sees white privilege in America as an oppressive force that must be done away with.”

He later added that liberals believe “white men have set up a system of oppression and that system must be destroyed ... The left wants power taken away from the white establishment and they want a profound change in the way America is run.”

Now, I don't think the Democratic Party can afford to word it quite like that, but O'Reilly isn't wrong. He's just wrong in being opposed to efforts to level the playing field. White privilege *is* a reality. It's also just a benign way of saying white supremacy, which is what has enabled white privilege. Historical injustices (to say nothing of ongoing injustices) continue to impact the present. A rising tide won't lift all boats when not all boats have been let out to sea. The Democratic Party should not lose sight of that and kowtow to bigots.