Reaching Exurbia

Yesterday's outcome in the OH-2 district brought a disturbing fact into even sharper relief. Republicans are becoming dominant in exurban areas, newer suburbs full of younger suburbanites. Hackett won the rural areas of his district by a surprising margin, proving that straight talk and sensible economic policies can reach those sought-after voters. It was in the exurbs of Warren and Clermont counties where Schmidt made her victory, and in my opinion it was a victory made purely on ideological grounds.

David Brooks is, well, a jackass, but when he's not speaking of Bobo's world, he's largely talking about this exurban landscape. And Democrats need to craft a message that'll work here, because it's expanding. Here's some facts from an NYT article Brooks wrote just after the election:

Ninety percent of the office space built in America in the 1990s was built in suburbia, usually in low office parks along the interstates. Now you have a tribe of people who not only don't work in cities, they don't commute to cities or go to the movies in cities or have any contact with urban life. You have these huge, sprawling communities with no center. Mesa, Arizona, for example, has more people than St. Louis or Minneapolis.

The conclusions Brooks draws from the rest of the piece aren't entirely valid, but it is very true that reaching the exurbs needs to be part of a long-term project in restoring the Democratic Party.

Now, not all exurbs are created equal. The ones in the Inland Empire of California, for example, are more middle class families that have no hope of buying affordable homes close to LA, so this is the best they can do. Other exurbs are far wealthier. My family moved from a suburb to an exurb when I was 15, in Bucks County, PA. I saw hundreds of miles of farmland turned into subdivisions in the space of a few short years. Big-box stores and giant malls turned up everywhere. Foot traffic was not even possible; I don't remember more than a few sidewalks in the entire area.

Our problems in these areas are manifold. This is largely an aspirational class in exurbia. You won't reach them with traditional populist themes because they consider themselves as part of the wealthier classes, or at least on the road to being so. Tax cuts and pro-business policies mean something to them because they think it will benefit them in the long run (even if it won't).

There's another factor at work. Ruy Teixeira tells us that 29% of the US population lives in exurbs. Chris Bowers sharply notes that the GOP Noise Machine is expanding the definition of what an exurb is, making exurbian expansion and continued Republican dominance a self-fulfilling prohecy.

That may be true, but 29% is a hell of a lot of people, and we need to find a way to at least hold our own in these districts. I don't have many answers here, but I think there's a possible economic solution.

We need to frame the Dem/GOP differences as ones between small business and big business. There are plenty of commuters in exurbia, but just as many small business employees and owners, who set up shop in one of the many industrial parks in the area. Stating in sharp relief how Democratic policies could help small business is absolutely crucial. Framing the GOP as the party of big business will help even more. Because there are so many big box stores in exurbs, that means there are plenty of big box employees living there. So while people may have a lot of affinity for Wal-Mart, just as many must see it in a negative light. Infiltrating with unions (the Coalition to Win strategy) as well as a meaningful discussion of how progressive policies improve the lives of workers is a must.

Plus, unions are community-building exercises. In the vaccuum of social networking, the churchs will of course take root. In addition to unions, building Democratic clubs in exurban areas is crucial. There's a "red/blue" summit coming up here in California, where Dems from red and blue areas (including many of these exurbs I'm talking about) will meet to determine electorial strategies. Our voice makes a much bigger difference in San Bernadino County than it would in the middle of Santa Monica.

More than anything, this is an opportunity for discussion. How can we get a foothold in this growing section of America? Thanks.