Chicago Tribune: "Blue-collar vote tough for Obama"

[bidenista]

Another look at the voter demographics in the primaries:

Blue-collar vote tough for Obama

By Christi Parsons and John McCormick | Tribune correspondents
February 10, 2008

WASHINGTON — Even when Sen. Barack Obama was the presidential candidate of the open collar, he was never the blue-collar one.

And these days, now that he rarely appears in public without a suit and tie, Obama is coming to grips with an undeniable trend: People with college degrees and higher incomes tend to choose him, while working-class voters, at least white ones, are more likely to favor Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York.

This is by no means a new divide within the Democratic Party, whose economically diverse population includes Hollywood glitterati, union workers and every pay grade in between. (Think Kendall-Jackson meets Anheuser-Busch.) But the preferences are emerging in such stark terms lately that even the Obama team may be accepting it as a difficult reality. In a memo leaked last week, Obama campaign staffers projected they were likely to lose in a handful of states—which just happen to be heavy with blue-collar workers. The beer-wine dynamic is not as significant as the gender divide, which is sending many female voters to Clinton's side. Still, it's an important factor as the race moves into the most competitive phase yet, in which any sliver of the electorate that sticks together might make the difference.

"His support tends to be stronger in suburban areas where you have white-collar professionals," said Brad Coker, managing director of Mason-Dixon Polling & Research. "There has always been a division among the Democratic Party among its limousine liberals and its blue-collar workers."...

More: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-working_bdfeb10,1,7255375,full.story?ctrack=1&cset=true

[Thrill]

1. This is only because he's running against Hillary

which is like running against Bill Clinton. I doubt this is an issue in the General

[bidenista]

2. well, i guess we can always "hope" that the stats will "change"

Because if they don't, and he's the nominee, the party's toast in the GE.

[ingac70]

7. Blue collar workers....

aren't so stupid that they'd vote for for more years of Bush policy. They are going by the fact she's Bill's wife.

Bill wasn't really favorable to blue collar workers, BTW. Hello NAFTA. His time in office was just the last hurrah for us, the effects of that horrid trade agreement took a while to take hold. And Dubya made it worse.

[maximusveritas]

5. Yes. These are the people hit hardest by Bush's economy

and the people who look back most fondly at the Clinton economy.

It won't be an issue in the general, not with McCain now promising a continuation of the Bush presidency.

[tokenlib]

3. A lot of voters are just tuning in..

Hillary has been known for 16-17 years--she has the name recognition. People go with familiarity. This is why when people get to know Obama--he picks up support. This is why Hillary has the BC vote. It is simply familiarity, for now...

[Nailzberg]

14. That was mentioned in the article. But I'm guessing most didn't read the thing.

"They still don't know Sen. Obama very well," said Bill Carrick, a veteran Democratic strategist not affiliated with Obama or Clinton. "Oftentimes, blue-collar voters ... tend to be late deciders and tend to vote for people they have known a long time."

[Barack_America]

18. Exactly. What characterizes blue-collar folks?

Hard work, usually manual labor, and dedication to family.

They don't often have jobs that allow them to surf the net all day. And, after work, they're busy with family. So they're not exactly watching Hardball, etc.

It's no wonder that they're just now tuning in. And how long has Obama been a serious consideration for the nomination (to the country, not us Obama supporters)? A month? Yeah, it's going to take blue-collar folks a while to come around to him. It's only natural.

[ingac70]

4. Some of those blue collar workers...

must have loved NAFTA passing under Bill and want some more.


*I am a blue collar worker for Obama.

[bigtree]

6. Ohio

Pennsylvania

K&R

[Skidmore]

8. I think this is utter BS.

I know lots of blue collar workers who support Obama, and plenty of white collars who support Hillary.

[DiamondJay]

9. there IS no blue collar vote for Obama

his vote is simply just the elite who want to feel good about themselves for whatever reason, by voting for Obama

[ingac70]

16. I am blue collar and for Obama...

but you keep telling that lie if it makes you feel better.

[Iceburg]

10. Could it be because the Snobamas are always referring to them as the "lunch bucket" crowd

Could it be because the Snobamas are always gleefully boasting "we have more money, we have more influence, we are better educated, we have more celebrities ...nan nuh nan nuh nan nuh...". Obama and his supporters has single handedly sewn the seeds of a class and gender war fare. I have never seen such a deeply divided party. It would surprise me if a 3rd party -- the party of the working class arose out of this election. By monetary standards, I am well off, but my heart and my head are working class. It shames me that our country is the only developed country without universal healthcare.

The GoP also has major fractures primarily along religous lines -- it too is in danger of dissolving.

[kurth]

13. Nothing that can't be remedied with a latte appreciation class

maybe a Yes-We-Can indoctrination session.

[whatchamacallit]

11. bidenista, have you gotten any data on how many minds you've changed with your anti-Obama blitz?

I'd hate to think you went to all this effort for nothing.

[bidenista]

12. it's definitely not "for nothing". nt

[mopinko]

19. yeah, you look like a

paid troll to me.

[bigtree]

15. and you?

what's your game?

[whatchamacallit]

22. Seems like a loaded question

What exactly would you like to know? If you have some reason to question my motives for commenting on DU, please share it. :shrug:

[Little Star]

17. I thought men voted with their wallets? Someone just posted

that, like Obama is the answer to their money problems.

[ecstatic]

20. There's an obvious explanation, which I won't go into here nt

[Barack_America]

21. Those who have jobs that allow them to surf the net all day...

...and inform themselves about politics tend to go for Obama.

Those who don't have as much time to read about politics tend to go for Clinton.

That's all I see here.