Blue Collar Electorate

Election pundits have repeatedly asked why Barack Obama has trouble attracting blue collar Whites as if he created the problem and could solve it. Hillary is seldom asked why Blacks don’t vote for her, a problem she could solve. But it is interesting why blue collar Whites consistently vote against themselves, supporting Republicans who care little about their problems.


This question, posited by columnist Ron Walters in a Final Call article this past May 14th, 2008, accurately underscores a political phenomenon that has placed our country in dire straits.

For the past 40 years - Nixon to Reagan to Bush I to Dole to Bush II - the white majority vote has gone to the Republican candidate even though the platform - economic and foreign - contrast with the interests of middle America. In plain words, it should be explored in depth why so-called "hardworking" blue collar whites seldom vote their interest.

The conflict of interest vote overwhelmingly supported President Bush and what did they reap from their votes: tax cuts that favor the very wealthy; financial and bankrupt laws written by Banks and Credit Card companies that hurt the middle class; an economic surplus turned into a huge deficit; an unwise, poorly managed, costly and unpopular war; and, higher gas, energy and food costs.

What are the roots of this phenomenon? The Republican image makers and king makers (and Clintons) intuitively understand the psyche of middle America; and, how to manipulate it. Each election cycle since 1968 (Nixon) the Republican strategist have used wedge issues such as abortion, crime, race, welfare, immigration, gay rights, women's rights, school prayer etc to either scare or stroke xenophobia in order to become recipients of white blue collar votes.


The sad reality is this strategy is very effective and it is also being used by John McCain and his surrogates in an effort to derail Barack Obama's campaign. In fact, just earlier today, I watched the sleaziest of sleazy Sean Hannity of the equally bias Fox Network actively engaging in scare the white folks politics. In mid-season form, he rarely mentions the relevant issues affecting millions of millions of Americans; instead, he opts to attack Obama's church and statements by Obama's wife. The goal is to inflame blue collar whites against Obama. He did not mention the war, gas prices, housing crisis, rising food costs nor the weak dollar. He did not challenge nor critique Obama's vision for our country. No, he attacked out of context statements written or spoken by Michelle Obama.

The ultimate challenge is for blue collar whites to stop being pimped and pandered to by those that do not share their best interest. Until that day occurs, we will continue to be divided and conquered by the corrupt.