--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Even when uttered by Democrats, \"middle…" description: "\"Even when uttered by Democrats, \"middle class\" often sounds like a mealymouthed way of saying, \"Us, and not them,\" where \"them\" includes poor people, s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f75/barbara-ehrenreich-1204_class_even-when-uttered-by-democrats-middle-cl_2864031.png" --- # Even when uttered by Democrats, "middle class" often… ![“Even when uttered by Democrats, "middle class" often sounds like a mealymouthed way of saying, "Us, and not them," where "them" includes poor people, snake handlers and those with pierced tongues.” quote by Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f75/barbara-ehrenreich-1204_class_even-when-uttered-by-democrats-middle-cl_2864031.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f75/barbara-ehrenreich-1204_class_even-when-uttered-by-democrats-middle-cl_2864031.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f75/barbara-ehrenreich-1204_class_even-when-uttered-by-democrats-middle-cl_2864031.png) > “Even when uttered by Democrats, "middle class" often sounds like a mealymouthed way of saying, "Us, and not them," where "them" includes poor people, snake handlers and those with pierced tongues.” [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The term “middle class” is often used to exclude the poor and other marginalized groups. **In simple terms:** “Middle class” can be a divisionary label. Key Takeaway Watch language that marginalizes. Themes politics class language Mood critical analytical Type political social When to use this quote - policy debate - public discourse - media analysis Key Concepts social exclusion political rhetoric Questions to Reflect On - Who is left out by such labels? - How does language shape perception? A Different Perspective Over‑simplification can obscure real issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Democrat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democrat/) [Democrats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democrats/) [Democrats Middle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democrats-middle-3880139/) [Middle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle/) [Middle class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-class/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Poor people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-people/) [Snakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/snakes/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Tongue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tongue/) [Uttered Democrats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uttered-democrats-3880140/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [Poor people have been voting for Democrats for the last 50 years and they're still poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-barkley/poor-people-have-been-voting-for-democrats-for-the-last-50-years-and/) [Charles Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-barkley/) > [I didn't say one negative word about poor people or about middle-class people or anything else. 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I think the anti-Wal-Mart is Costco, which pays much better and has much better health benefits and which is profitable and offers low…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ehrenreich/yes-i-think-the-anti-wal-mart-is-costco-which-pays-much-better-and/) [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/) > [Jesus: a wine-guzzling vagrant and precocious socialist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ehrenreich/jesus-a-wine-guzzling-vagrant-and-precocious-socialist/) [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/) > [ What would it mean in practice to eliminate all the 'negative people' from one's life \[as demanded by motivational speaker J.P. Maroney\]? 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