I think what's key would be to have an economic message that isn't simply offering voters more welfare. Democrats used to have a pitch on trade and union jobs that appealed in some rural areas. That's gone now, and it's difficult to think of what they could come up with to replace it.
I don't think more or less welfare is necessarily the issue. I think there is a detachment between the middle class and both parties. In that sense, the question is quite simple. What are you going to do to help the middle class? The middle class has been falling behind for many years and help has largely been fleeting (though the pandemic direct payments were a rare benefit).
