To the Point
The Mythology of the Middle Class
Both Democrats and Republicans are campaigning with traditional appeals to "the Middle Class." Do party platforms offer credible promises to achieve "the American Dream?"
By Warren Olney • • 51m ListenBoth Democrats and Republicans are campaigning with traditional appeals to "the Middle Class." Is that a phrase that's losing its meaning? Do the party platforms offer credible promises about helping Americans fulfill "the American Dream?" Also, teachers go on strike in Chicago, leaving 350,000 students without school, and President Obama's public opinion "bounce" since the Democratic convention.
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In this episode
3 storiesChicago Teachers Strike Leaves 350,000 Students without School
Marathon negotiations began last November, but they broke down yesterday and today some 26,000 teachers are on strike in Chicago. Classes have been cancelled for more than 350,000 students. Rahm Emanuel, President Obama's former chief of staff, is the Mayor who hand-picked the school board.
Read the story8 minRepublicans, Democrats and 'the Middle Class'
In both Tampa and Charlotte, speaker after speaker tried to identify with "the Middle Class" and echoed the theme of upward mobility and fulfillment of "the American Dream." That's been a staple of presidential campaigns since the end of World War II. But in recent decades, "the Middle Class" has been shrinking.
Read the story36 minPresident Obama's Post-Convention Bounce in the Polls
In the aftermath of last week's Democratic convention in Charlotte, did President Obama get what public opinion pollsters call a "bounce?" How did it compare to reaction to Mitt Romney after the GOP convention in Tampa?
Read the story7 min
