It is generally thought that being a judge requires the propensity to be neutral, even in cases where one may have an implicit bias for one of the parties. However, a 2015 Harvard University study challenged this assumption with its finding that having a daughter makes a judge more likely to rule on the side of women’s rights. The study looked at 2,500 votes by 224 federal appeals court judges and determined that there was a causal relationship between having a daughter and ruling “in a feminist direction.” A possible explanation for this phenomenon is that these parents experience the unique hardships faced by their daughters, such as wage inequality. On a more visceral level, seeing someone who resembles or reminds one of their child could cause judges to be more sympathetic. Whatever the reason, the study’s findings underscore the idea that people care most about issues that affect them personally.

The Democratic party could use this lesson as they regroup for the 2018 midterm elections after a disappointing presidential election. Many believe that the poor result had a lot to do with the popular Middle America perception that progressives are out of touch with the issues that matter to them and their way of thinking. In a Jan. 24 article, Rich Lowry, the editor of the National Review, recently gave a synopsis of the “culture war” that has been taking place between liberals and conservatives. He describes how President Donald Trump has exacerbated those divides by making the election into not only a battle over pertinent political issues, but also one that pits rural, disenfranchised groups against a liberal elite portrayed as being allied with a corrupt establishment. Middle America’s frustration with the lack of economic growth in the middle class, the loss of jobs in the coal industry and the perceived cultural elitism of the left has allowed this dichotomy to take hold in their minds.

If the Democrats are to win over some of these voters, they would be wise to formulate a strategy that focuses on issues that affect the aforementioned group of disenfranchised people on a uniquely personal level. One such issue could be the opioid crisis, which has been ravaging communities across the country for the past several years. According to a Jan. 1, 2016 report from the Center for Disease Control, overdose deaths from this category of drugs, which is headlined by prescription narcotics and heroin, have increased by 200 percent since 2000. Much of this increase has been seen in the past few years, with the most recent data showing an increase of 14 percent from 2013 to 2014 and 33,000 deaths in 2015. According to the CDC, the two states with the highest death rates of that year from drug overdoses were New Hampshire and Ohio, both of which are key swing states in presidential elections.

As startling as these numbers are, there is a distinct contrast between the significance of the problem and the attention that it has gotten in the media and from politicians; other, more sensational themes from the previous election overshadowed one of the worst public health crises in our nation’s history. Then-candidate Trump’s alleged ties to Russia and his continuous disparagement of underprivileged and/or disenfranchised citizens, along with Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s proclivity for using a private email server stole the headlines. Meanwhile, deficiencies in government took their toll on everyday Americans without gaining widespread media attraction. While the aforementioned issues are very serious and should be taken into account by voters — especially President Trump’s possible collusion with Russia to interfere with the election — the focus on these issues had the side effect of tabling issues that hit more close to home for many Americans.

In a more recent example of tabloids overshadowing real political issues, Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis riled the alt-right when she proclaimed in her victory speech that being an actress is the only occupation that “celebrates what it means to live a life.” To many conservatives, the statement was a backhanded insult to those who work normal jobs and underscored the smugness of the liberal elite. Noted right-wing agitator Ben Shapiro stated in a Feb. 27 Daily Wire piece that Davis’ speech underscored the self-centered and out-of-touch nature of the liberal, Hollywood milieu. On Feb. 24, the Republican plan to replace Obamacare was leaked by Politico and received relatively little fanfare. As detailed in a Feb. 28 article in the Atlantic, the plan could have disastrous consequences for rural areas in the Midwest. For example, the plan will reduce states’ abilities to increase healthcare spending when flexibility in this area is necessary to face a public health crises like the opioid epidemic.

In addition, the author notes that rural areas — including many that went for Trump in the election — already have especially high healthcare costs due to poor health and a lack of access to coverage. The Republican plan could exacerbate these issues by removing the clause in Obamacare that ties tax credits to healthcare prices in local markets. This would mean that people in markets with high healthcare costs, many of whom are in poor health, will not receive additional help in getting covered. An analysis of national health and mortality statistics by the Washington Post from April of last year found that the widening gap between health of rural and urban areas in the U.S. was largely due to opioid use, drinking and smoking.

While the culture war between the right and the left seems to be the pertinent issue concerning many Americans, Democrats can still bridge the ever-widening gap between progressives and the blue-collar middle class by focusing their campaign efforts on finding a plan to solve the health issues of rural, middle- and lower- class communities who largely voted for Trump in the previous election. This way, Democrats can appeal to voters by focusing on an issue that is very personal to them.

Though both candidates in the recent presidential election commented on the opioid crisis, neither made it a prominent aspect of their respective platforms. Thus far, Trump has not made any proposals to help solve the issue. In fact, according to a March 2 PBS article, he has proposed to eliminate the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which oversees the government’s efforts to curb the drug epidemic.

The Democratic Party has a unique opportunity to recover from a disastrous defeat in 2016 in light of Trump’s low poll numbers. However, they will need a campaign strategy that revives the party’s progressive character and helps solve issues affecting the most underprivileged and vulnerable Americans. Judges have the propensity to overcome their neutrality to support that which is intensely personal to them. In the same way, rural areas of Middle America can see past intensifying tensions caused by the culture war to support a party that appeals to an issue like the opioid epidemic, one that is affecting them and their communities.