Washington (CNN)It's the new GOP civil war. Republican presidential hopefuls -- all too aware of the party's disconnect with the middle class -- are in a fierce competition among each other to prove they're the candidate who can give voice to the struggles of Americans left behind by the uneven economic recovery. The potential 2016 candidates are working to prove that Democrats aren't the only ones sensitive to the nation's growing economic inequality. The GOP is also trying to move past serious stumbles -- such as Mitt Romney's infamous 47% comment -- that created an impression among some middle class voters that the party is out of touch.
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Republicans knew after 2012 they had a problem with the middle class
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Presidential hopefuls are vying to talk about opportunity gap and poverty
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Democrats see a change of rhetoric, not change of policy
In November's midterm elections, 64% of the same demographic voted @placeholder and 34% chose Democrats.