Did the left become self-indulgent when it abandoned the white working class, or was it always that way?

Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man,

the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time

handed out military command, high civil office, legions - everything, now

restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things:

bread and circuses

Juvenal, Satire 10.77-81

There was always some difference in priorities between affluent left Democrats who care more about civil liberties and the working class who cared more about economic issues. However it was not until the the Republicans developed the strategy to gain the culture Conservative vote did the division become a chasm. The Democratic party gained by default a lot of affluent pro civil liberties, pro civil rights republicans who's agenda has little in common with that of the working class .