Kerry did better than Kennedy with working-class voters1

[Mass]

Posted because I did not know these numbers. (I'd like to see the numbers on which the rest of the editorial is based, because I suspect that this is true as well, but it goes against many clichés, and I wonder whether it is because we get our idea of rural America from rich, educated reporters who despise rural people (remember Candy Crowley and green tea).

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/opinion/17bartels.html?em&ex=1208577600&en=43b95883a46d4cc2&ei=5087%0A

Mr. Obama’s comments are supposed to be significant because of the popular perception that rural, working-class voters have abandoned the Democratic Party in recent decades and that the only way for Democrats to win them back is to cater to their cultural concerns. The reality is that John Kerry received a slender plurality of their votes in 2004, while John F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey, in the close elections of 1960 and 1968, lost them narrowly.

Mr. Obama should do as well or better among these voters if he is the Democratic candidate in November. If he doesn’t, it won’t be because he has offended the tender sensitivities of small-town Americans. It will be because he has embraced a misleading stereotype of who they are and what they care about.

[blm]

1. Those numbers would be higher still if DNC had secured the election process for about 5mil voters

whose votes were not allowed, tossed and stolen.

[karynnj]

2. I hadn't heard that

That really counters the whole elite nonsense. Both Gore and Kerry won very near half the vote - you would think from HRC's comment that both lost in a Mondale, McGovern, Dukakis level blowout. This is HRC is following Bill and many Clinton people in trying to label Gore and Kerry as horrible candidates. Looking at her mess of a primary race, that takes a huge amount of Chutzpah.

Though I can see that this year is a year of change and that Obama fills that need - I don't have the same confidence in him that I had in Kerry. It will be a struggle to keep the general election focused on issues - where we win - rather than personalities and these smears. At the risk of sounding like supporters of certain candidates who have pulled out, I would be more comfortable if it was going to be Kerry vs McCain. The experience difference would be a wash, Kerry has less baggage, and we saw Kerry debate him on Iraq - and let him get away with nothing.

[JI7]

3. in the Primary, Kerry's base was working class voters, minorities, women and young people

the groups Kerry had trouble with were those who were conservative on social issues and higher income types. Edwards actually did better than Kerry among the higher income groups.

but this shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who has seen Kerry campaign. while the establishment types complained about the way he talked, pink ties, hobbies etc, JK himself would just go to people and talk to them about issues that matter to them. he understood those issues, he understood the people. he may not have been like them but he cared and listened. this wasn't just during the campaign but what he has done his lifetime.

even when he is campaigning for Obama the people he goes to are not the wealthy types, but he goes to mainly veterans and working class voters like in that Texas forum he did.

[MBS]

4. oh, yes. This rings so true.

Thank you.