Democrats seethe over Teamsters’ decision to not endorse Kamala Harris

[HARK!]

The traditionally pro-Democratic Party union was on the receiving end of the party’s ire Wednesday after announcing its nonendorsement decision and releasing its national electronic poll of its 1.3 million members showing the rank-and-file overwhelmingly support former President Donald Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris, 59.6% to 34%.

Democrats seethe over Teamsters’ decision to not endorse Harris

House Democrats expressed disappointment and said they felt betrayed by the Teamsters union, which decided it would not endorse a presidential candidate this cycle.

www.washingtontimes.com

 

[Valletta]

The traditionally pro-Democratic Party union was on the receiving end of the party’s ire Wednesday after announcing its nonendorsement decision and releasing its national electronic poll of its 1.3 million members showing the rank-and-file overwhelmingly support former President Donald Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris, 59.6% to 34%.

Democrats seethe over Teamsters’ decision to not endorse Harris

House Democrats expressed disappointment and said they felt betrayed by the Teamsters union, which decided it would not endorse a presidential candidate this cycle.

www.washingtontimes.com

Democrats may exert pressure to see the head of the Teamsters is replaced. The Teamsters heads in the past typically would ignore the interests of the rank-and-file members.

 

[xser88]

Many long-distance truck drivers in the Teamsters union listen to AM radio. AM talk radio is dominated by right wing hate speech all across America 24/7.
I believe hearing this racist ideology day in day out is influencing their position.

 

[Valletta]

Many long-distance truck drivers in the Teamsters union listen to AM radio. AM talk radio is dominated by right wing hate speech all across America 24/7.
I believe hearing this racist ideology day in day out is influencing their position.

You know it had been around eight years since the last time I had a chance to listen to a substantial amount of talk radio this summer. The conservative radio hosts talked a lot about common sense things, such as how the defund the police policies and bailing out criminals, or not charging criminals who steal under $1000 at a time, have devastated San Francisco and other areas. Not hateful--just pretty common sense stuff.

 

[xser88]

You know it had been around eight years since the last time I had a chance to listen to a substantial amount of talk radio this summer. The conservative radio hosts talked a lot about common sense things, such as how the defund the police policies and bailing out criminals, or not charging criminals who steal under $1000 at a time, have devastated San Francisco and other areas. Not hateful--just pretty common sense stuff.

I'm not a Democrat or on the left. I think the left's policies and ideological views on equality, fairness, helping the poor and needy are more in line with my Christian values than the policies and ideology of Republicans and conservatives.

For better than half a lifetime, I’ve studied media and its effects on the public psyche. Teaching broadcast history and directing a student radio station, the larger picture seemed pretty clear. But one question always frustrated and perplexed me: How did AM talk radio, in particular, come to program such venomous, outrageous programming? Why do station managers, salespeople, even some listeners insist that Rush rants are what the public wants? And how did “Christian” radio (and on-line sits) come to carry such un-Christian messages?
David Norlin, How venomous voices from right-wing radio radicalized America • Missouri Independent

'The Divided Dial' examines how right-wing radio spreads misinformation​

Before the attack on the U.S. Capitol in 2021, a talk radio host was on the air. Eric Metaxas interviewed a man who denied the presidential election results and who in turn got a call from Donald Trump.

(SOUNDBITE OF RADIO SHOW, "THE ERIC METAXAS SHOW")

ERIC METAXAS: Mr. President, I want to know, what can I do...

DONALD TRUMP: Fantastic. Your whole show and your whole deal is great. So just keep it up. We're making a lot of progress, actually.

INSKEEP: The talk show host said he was willing to die for the cause. Another host on the same network, Charlie Kirk, fired up listeners on January 4.

(SOUNDBITE OF RADIO SHOW, "THE CHARLIE KIRK SHOW")

CHARLIE KIRK: Believe it or not, there is a almost guaranteed way that Donald Trump serves four more years. Mike Pence says, I refuse to certify at this very moment the election results of Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.

INSKEEP: Radio hosts were part of the backdrop for the January 6 attack. They have audiences of many millions. And they are the focus of a podcast series, "Divided Dial," hosted by Katie Thornton. She says the series grew out of a long drive she took in a rural part of her native Minnesota.

INSKEEP: Thornton learned that conservative radio is as old as radio, but it grew in the 1990s, when looser federal regulations made it easier to give one-sided opinions on the radio without equal time for other views. One star rose above all.

(SOUNDBITE OF RADIO SHOW, "THE RUSH LIMBAUGH SHOW")

RUSH LIMBAUGH: Talk about a woman who's not anything without her husband. It's Raisa Gorbachev.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: She has a Ph.D.

LIMBAUGH: You know what that Ph.D. is? It means you go to a Marxism course for 20 minutes.

LIMBAUGH: Let me put it to you this way. The NFL, all too often, looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons.

INSKEEP: Rush Limbaugh inspired many imitators. He also shared the dial with conservative religious broadcasters. And of today's influential companies, a big one is the Salem Media Group.

THORNTON: Today, they own over a hundred stations, and they syndicate to over 3,000 stations. And they've had this sort of strong base on the radio for so long that they've been able to use that as a sort of launching point to expand into being this multimedia empire, in a way. They own many of the largest conservative news sites. They also have services that sell sermons to pastors. They have a podcast network. They have an influencer network. And so they're really hitting people wherever they are, whether that's on the radio or online.

BILLY CRONE: The COVID plandemic - this has been the biggest global dry run to prepare the world to receive the mark of the beast in the seven-year tribulation in the history of mankind.

https://www.npr.org/2023/01/06/1147345914/the-divided-dial-examines-how-right-wing-radio-spreads-misinformation

It started in the 80s, Conservative politicians teaming with conservative white Christians. In America conservatives have been on the wrong side of our moral history. White conservatives share the same culture with white conservatives Christians. I believe many white conservatives have abandoned their biblical principles for their culture and political affiliations. God is love, hate is the opposite of love. But for many white conservative Christians hate/racism isn't a deal breaker. You don't have to listen to right wing radio to hear this hate and misinformation, I hear it these days on Christian radio.

 

[Lukaris]

Cheers to the rank and file Teamsters workers.

 

[Mike from NJ]

Interestingly, back in 2022 President Biden used $36 billion to bailout the Teamsters faltering pension system.

Biden’s $36B bailout is largest-ever for a private pension

When President Joe Biden directed $36 billion to a Teamsters pension fund, he said it would prevent drastic cuts in pens

www.politifact.com

 

[HARK!]

Interestingly, back in 2022 President Biden used $36 billion to bailout the Teamsters faltering pension system.

Used it from where?

 

[HARK!]

I'm not a Democrat or on the left. I think the left's policies and ideological views on equality, fairness, helping the poor and needy are more in line with my Christian values than the policies and ideology of Republicans and conservatives.

I'm not sure what any of this has to do with the Teamsters. After you get done explaining that; maybe you can explain how this administration's wars, and funding sex changes on children, fit in with those Christian values; so long as you aren't taking my thread off topic after only four posts.

 

[HARK!]

How long has it been since you listened to the radio?

Rush Limbaugh died 3 years ago...

I was hoping that we could just get back on topic before page 2.

 

[xser88]

I'm not sure what any of this has to do with the Teamsters. After you get done explaining that; maybe you can explain how this administration's wars, and funding sex changes on children, fit in with those Christian values; so long as you aren't taking my thread off topic after only four posts.

I'm not sure what any of this has to do with the Teamsters. After you get done explaining that; maybe you can explain how this administration's wars, and funding sex changes on children, fit in with those Christian values; so long as you aren't taking my thread off topic after only four posts.

Racism and misogyny, AM talk radio across America is right-wing hate speech spewing out racism and misogyny 24/7. Teamsters Union has a lot of truck drivers listening to this garbage, which influences their position on endorsing Harris. Both parties are guilty of supporting wars; Bush is the worst president in our history for lying to start an unnecessary war against a country that didn't attack us and left hundreds of thousands of civilian casualties. The Progressive Party policies have ALWAYS been closer to the biblical principle of do unto your neighbors as you would have them do unto you. Hate/racism has always been with our conservative Party; NEVER in our history have their policies been closer to the biblical concept of treating your neighbors as you would have them treat you. Sorry if you believe it was off-topic; I think it's racism again—this time in right-wing hate speech radio, which has been around since the late 80s.

 

[Hazelelponi]

Racism and misogyny, AM talk radio across America is right-wing hate speech spewing out racism and misogyny 24/7. Teamsters Union has a lot of truck drivers listening to this garbage, which influences their position on endorsing Harris. Both parties are guilty of supporting wars; Bush is the worst president in our history for lying to start an unnecessary war against a country that didn't attack us and left hundreds of thousands of civilian casualties. The Progressive Party policies have ALWAYS been closer to the biblical principle of do unto your neighbors as you would have them do unto you. Hate/racism has always been with our conservative Party; NEVER in our history have their policies been closer to the biblical concept of treating your neighbors as you would have them treat you. Sorry if you believe it was off-topic; I think it's racism again—this time in right-wing hate speech radio, which has been around since the late 80s.

So you have decided the only reason on this planet for truckdrivers to vote for a different candidate than the one you appear to like is they were swayed by racism and misogyny?

Not anything to do with her bad policies that effect them everyday.... (Inflation, high gas prices, etc)?

How can we even take a post like this seriously?

If they are voting for Trump it's because they care about this nation and what happens to it. That affects men and women of every color under the sun.

The least racist and misogynistic thing anyone can do is to vote as a concerned citizen based on the issues we actually face, today, as a nation.

 

[rambot]

Local Teamsters groups announce Harris endorsements after national union declines to do so

I don't think they are seething at all. Some of them are being quite clear.

 

[Vambram]

I'm not a Democrat or on the left. I think the left's policies and ideological views on equality, fairness, helping the poor and needy are more in line with my Christian values than the policies and ideology of Republicans and conservatives.

For better than half a lifetime, I’ve studied media and its effects on the public psyche. Teaching broadcast history and directing a student radio station, the larger picture seemed pretty clear. But one question always frustrated and perplexed me: How did AM talk radio, in particular, come to program such venomous, outrageous programming? Why do station managers, salespeople, even some listeners insist that Rush rants are what the public wants? And how did “Christian” radio (and on-line sits) come to carry such un-Christian messages?
David Norlin, How venomous voices from right-wing radio radicalized America • Missouri Independent

'The Divided Dial' examines how right-wing radio spreads misinformation​

Before the attack on the U.S. Capitol in 2021, a talk radio host was on the air. Eric Metaxas interviewed a man who denied the presidential election results and who in turn got a call from Donald Trump.

(SOUNDBITE OF RADIO SHOW, "THE ERIC METAXAS SHOW")

ERIC METAXAS: Mr. President, I want to know, what can I do...

DONALD TRUMP: Fantastic. Your whole show and your whole deal is great. So just keep it up. We're making a lot of progress, actually.

INSKEEP: The talk show host said he was willing to die for the cause. Another host on the same network, Charlie Kirk, fired up listeners on January 4.

(SOUNDBITE OF RADIO SHOW, "THE CHARLIE KIRK SHOW")

CHARLIE KIRK: Believe it or not, there is a almost guaranteed way that Donald Trump serves four more years. Mike Pence says, I refuse to certify at this very moment the election results of Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.

INSKEEP: Radio hosts were part of the backdrop for the January 6 attack. They have audiences of many millions. And they are the focus of a podcast series, "Divided Dial," hosted by Katie Thornton. She says the series grew out of a long drive she took in a rural part of her native Minnesota.

INSKEEP: Thornton learned that conservative radio is as old as radio, but it grew in the 1990s, when looser federal regulations made it easier to give one-sided opinions on the radio without equal time for other views. One star rose above all.

(SOUNDBITE OF RADIO SHOW, "THE RUSH LIMBAUGH SHOW")

RUSH LIMBAUGH: Talk about a woman who's not anything without her husband. It's Raisa Gorbachev.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: She has a Ph.D.

LIMBAUGH: You know what that Ph.D. is? It means you go to a Marxism course for 20 minutes.

LIMBAUGH: Let me put it to you this way. The NFL, all too often, looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons.

INSKEEP: Rush Limbaugh inspired many imitators. He also shared the dial with conservative religious broadcasters. And of today's influential companies, a big one is the Salem Media Group.

THORNTON: Today, they own over a hundred stations, and they syndicate to over 3,000 stations. And they've had this sort of strong base on the radio for so long that they've been able to use that as a sort of launching point to expand into being this multimedia empire, in a way. They own many of the largest conservative news sites. They also have services that sell sermons to pastors. They have a podcast network. They have an influencer network. And so they're really hitting people wherever they are, whether that's on the radio or online.

BILLY CRONE: The COVID plandemic - this has been the biggest global dry run to prepare the world to receive the mark of the beast in the seven-year tribulation in the history of mankind.

https://www.npr.org/2023/01/06/1147345914/the-divided-dial-examines-how-right-wing-radio-spreads-misinformation

It started in the 80s, Conservative politicians teaming with conservative white Christians. In America conservatives have been on the wrong side of our moral history. White conservatives share the same culture with white conservatives Christians. I believe many white conservatives have abandoned their biblical principles for their culture and political affiliations. God is love, hate is the opposite of love. But for many white conservative Christians hate/racism isn't a deal breaker. You don't have to listen to right wing radio to hear this hate and misinformation, I hear it these days on Christian radio.

There are a couple things in this post that I have strong disappointments and disagreements. However, for now, I am going to take the time to ask everyone to recognize the differences between humorous hyperbole actual hate speech.
Also, may I suggest to my fellow Americans and fellow Christians the following famous piece of advice? "Life is tough and not fair. Get a helmet."

 

[Vambram]

So you have decided the only reason on this planet for truckdrivers to vote for a different candidate than the one you appear to like is they were swayed by racism and misogyny?

Not anything to do with her bad policies that effect them everyday.... (Inflation, high gas prices, etc)?

How can we even take a post like this seriously?

If they are voting for Trump it's because they care about this nation and what happens to it. That affects men and women of every color under the sun.

The least racist and misogynistic thing anyone can do is to vote as a concerned citizen based on the issues we actually face, today, as a nation.

Amen, my sister!

 

[bèlla]

It started in the 80s, Conservative politicians teaming with conservative white Christians. In America conservatives have been on the wrong side of our moral history. White conservatives share the same culture with white conservatives Christians. I believe many white conservatives have abandoned their biblical principles for their culture and political affiliations. God is love, hate is the opposite of love. But for many white conservative Christians hate/racism isn't a deal breaker. You don't have to listen to right wing radio to hear this hate and misinformation, I hear it these days on Christian radio.

I stopped listening to the radio years ago. I tuned into Moody for a bit and reached a similar conclusion. The messages were slanted as were the ones on secular stations. I decided to spend more time reading books. Removing the influences from my ear was a good decision. You don't have the same reaction when you have an opportunity to chew on something and digest it. When it's pouring in your ear or acrooss the screen the response is faster. Keeping your head is the name of the game in this season.

~bella

 

[DaisyDay]

So you have decided the only reason on this planet for truckdrivers to vote for a different candidate than the one you appear to like is they were swayed by racism and misogyny?

Not anything to do with her bad policies that effect them everyday.... (Inflation, high gas prices, etc)?

How can we even take a post like this seriously?

If they are voting for Trump it's because they care about this nation and what happens to it. That affects men and women of every color under the sun.

The least racist and misogynistic thing anyone can do is to vote as a concerned citizen based on the issues we actually face, today, as a nation.

And the current administration supports unions in general and this union in particular while the previous administration was anti union. Sexism and racism are distinct possibilities. Furthermore, does this non-endorsement reflect the heads or the bodies of the union?

 

[ThatRobGuy]

And the current administration supports unions in general and this union in particular while the previous administration was anti union. Sexism and racism are distinct possibilities. Furthermore, does this non-endorsement reflect the heads or the bodies of the union?

Actually, the reason why the Union leaders didn't give an endorsement, is because she wasn't popular among their actual members.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/18/politics/teamsters-will-not-endorse-us-president/index.html

Ahead of the decision, the Teamsters shared internal data showing that a majority of members supported Trump over Harris. According to an electronic member poll that was initiated after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race, about 60% of members believed the union should endorse Trump while 34% supported Harris. About 6% said they supported another candidate.


Now, there could be a few factors in there. Obviously we can't rule out that some people could be racist or sexist, sure... but if that were the case, I would think that would've stopped the endorsements for Obama (and the subsequent endorsement they gave Hillary, as well as the Biden endorsement which had Harris on the ticket)

Some other potential factors:
-Not everyone votes with their wallet on everything (or there's limits to it). There are times where if you pile up enough things a person disagrees with, slightly more favorable wages won't fully offset it. Perhaps the Democrats have reached a tipping point on their social stances that now "outweigh" their support of unions (economically) in the eyes of many of the members.


-There could be countervailing interests. People often forget, not every teamster is a regular truck driver just looking to get some extra bucks per hour.
The Teamsters 1.3 million members come from various professions – truck drivers, freight workers, oil & petroleum workers, breweries, construction, motion picture workers, airline pilots, zookeepers, and public defenders.


People in some of these professions could certainly have an axe to grind with how Democrats have handled certain matters and talked about certain things over the past few years.

For instance, I could see why a brewery (that maybe have suffered financially due to the area becoming unsafe due to relaxed policing policies), may not be huge fans. Same with public defenders.

If you were one of the Motion picture workers (who were teamsters) who was stuck not working due to the Writers/Actors Guild Strike, and when you turned on the TV, saw a bunch of people on the left talking about it like it was a good thing... that could be a problem.

If you're a teamsters-backed construction worker, and work is becoming more difficult due to regulatory red-tape in blue states, I could see that swaying opinions.

The oil and petroleum workers that are teamster-backed... I don't think I even need to elaborate on that one lol.

They also represent a lot of the Hotel & Tourism workers, as well as a number of retail workers in both the greater San Fran area and some parts of Chicago. I can think of a few reasons for why people in those sectors and locations may not be loving their job a whole lot (and may not be thrilled to hear democrats downplaying crime issues in the name of elevating social justice themes)

 

[DaisyDay]

Actually, the reason why the Union leaders didn't give an endorsement, is because she wasn't popular among their actual members.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/18/politics/teamsters-will-not-endorse-us-president/index.html

Ahead of the decision, the Teamsters shared internal data showing that a majority of members supported Trump over Harris. According to an electronic member poll that was initiated after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race, about 60% of members believed the union should endorse Trump while 34% supported Harris. About 6% said they supported another candidate.


Now, there could be a few factors in there. Obviously we can't rule out that some people could be racist or sexist, sure... but if that were the case, I would think that would've stopped the endorsements for Obama (and the subsequent endorsement they gave Hillary, as well as the Biden endorsement which had Harris on the ticket)

Some other potential factors:
-Not everyone votes with their wallet on everything (or there's limits to it). There are times where if you pile up enough things a person disagrees with, slightly more favorable wages won't fully offset it. Perhaps the Democrats have reached a tipping point on their social stances that now "outweigh" their support of unions (economically) in the eyes of many of the members.


-There could be countervailing interests. People often forget, not every teamster is a regular truck driver just looking to get some extra bucks per hour.
The Teamsters 1.3 million members come from various professions – truck drivers, freight workers, oil & petroleum workers, breweries, construction, motion picture workers, airline pilots, zookeepers, and public defenders.


People in some of these professions could certainly have an axe to grind with how Democrats have handled certain matters and talked about certain things over the past few years.

For instance, I could see why a brewery (that maybe have suffered financially due to the area becoming unsafe due to relaxed policing policies), may not be huge fans. Same with public defenders.

If you were one of the Motion picture workers (who were teamsters) who was stuck not working due to the Writers/Actors Guild Strike, and when you turned on the TV, saw a bunch of people on the left talking about it like it was a good thing... that could be a problem.

If you're a teamsters-backed construction worker, and work is becoming more difficult due to regulatory red-tape in blue states, I could see that swaying opinions.

The oil and petroleum workers that are teamster-backed... I don't think I even need to elaborate on that one lol.

They also represent a lot of the Hotel & Tourism workers, as well as a number of retail workers in both the greater San Fran area and some parts of Chicago. I can think of a few reasons for why people in those sectors and locations may not be loving their job a whole lot (and may not be thrilled to hear democrats downplaying crime issues in the name of elevating social justice themes)

In the county where I used to work, the office rank and file were CSEA while the managers were Teamsters. Probably still are.

 

[rambot]

Not everybody makes their decisions on whether the administration is going to support them in their employment: That's what I learned.


For example, Trump's tax plan made it so that tradespeople couldn't claim their tools on their tax return.

I cannot imagine a MORE antiworker position to take on a tax plan.

And yet some of these people will still vote for him.

So why? Well, there is something MORE important to them than a decent wage I suppose. Teamsters were affected by this legislation...so I assume earning a decent wage isn't their most important rubric for deciding on who to vote.