What does Obama have to do to connect with the blue collar

[NJmaverick]

Democrats? That's what I am wondering about.

[shadowknows69]

1. Uh , he has been?

[NJmaverick]

5. Not according to all the polls I have seen

Working class, lesser educated White Dems have not really been supporting Obama, all that much.

[Rosemary2205]

6. What you said

[stray cat]

2. Thats a good question - is it just Ohio?

He has won states with alot of blue collar workers and the endorsements of many of the labor unions. How has he done on the exit polls with blue collar workers in states like MO? I thought he was losing only female blue collar workers to Hillary?

[NJmaverick]

10. I have seen other states, and that's why people are predicting

a Hillary win in PA, because they have a similar demographic. I know he has been getting Union endorsements, but it the rank and file have not seemed to follow.

[stray cat]

14. Do you think he isn't perceived as a fighter and too much of an educated liberal?

The party has always had that split - and I thought Edwards had the best populist message - but his wealth may have gotten in the way of the message.

Do you think it is a carry over from Bill Clinton and trust he built with blue collar workers?

[NJmaverick]

47. I am not sure what it is

It's possible they seem him as too educated. I have found that many blue collor type have some resentment toward people with college educations. One thing with Obama, he does come off as an intelligent college educated person. Perhaps as a result of his being a Constitutional law professor. He may have to learn to adjust his delivery to try and be more like a regular guy. That has helped many presidential candidates, from Reagan, Bush Jr and Clinton. It's all about perception.

[maddiejoan]

3. drop out of the race?

:shrug:

[Deja Q]

9. Or have his job offshored?

:shrug:

[leftofcool]

12. That would be my guess too

[flor de jasmim]

4. I heard someone suggest neighborhood grill parties

I would imagine it would involve his going where they are--perhaps if there are any "bosses" out there who could invite him to visit their place of business?

[DURHAM D]

7. Develop a passion for something - any part of the Democratic core values will do.

[Horse with no Name]

13. I guess the hardworking dems just can't see voting for someone

who would consider privatizing their schools.

[maddiejoan]

15. or Social Security for that matter

what with privatization being 'still on the table'.

Maybe he just reminds them too much of the Boss who got them fired, while Hillary reminds them of Phyliss in accounting.

[DURHAM D]

16. And who doesn't give a shit about health insurance or health care.

Also, may be open to privatizing social security.

[shraby]

33. Isn't the constitution a core Dem. value?

He has stated he will restore habeus corpus, close gitmo, stop torture, check all those signing statements * put out there for starters. Those are my core values.

[Dinger]

8. Wait A Few Years

He's not going to do that in 5 months.

[anonymous171]

11. Take Hillary out of the race. She's been scaring them into voting for her.

[OzarkDem]

19. They'll go to McCain

[anonymous171]

20. Working class dems won't go to McCain. They're democrats after all.

Remember it's John "The jobs aren't coming back" McCain.

[Barack_America]

17. I'm hoping one of the Labor Group guys/gals might speak to racism and unions.

Having grown up in Detroit, I have some thoughts about this, but seeing as I've never personally been a union member, I'd like to reserve them for the time being.

[Cha]

18. I don't know what does Obama have to

do?

[annie1]

23. he needs to get a little more wonky. get down to earth for some of us.

[Cha]

28. No Obama isn't going down in the fucking slime like hilary..

No thanks, Obama has amazing information out there for people who can read and aren't drinking at the toxic fountain of hilary.

[annie1]

30. policy talk is what i meant by wonky. simmer.

[Cha]

40. You don't know what you're talking

about..

[annie1]

45. really? i'm saying that if he talks more policy he can win us over...

and i don't know what i'm talking about? i'm a hillary supporter, are you saying he can't win us over? well cuomo agrees with me that he lost TX b/c he was all poetry and she was prose, and when he starts speaking prose he'll win us over. i agree with him b/c that's how i feel about his campaigning. that's what a lot of us here have been complaining about. his lofty rhetoric. and when he switches over to policy talk, which he will do in the GE, he can win many hillary supporters over.

BLITZER: So, what happened last night?

CUOMO: He lost.

BLITZER: Why?

CUOMO: And because he lost -- because the prose caught up to him. I had this expression, you campaign in poetry. You govern in prose. The best thing is to combine the two. He was mostly, I think, poetry. She was prose. And the prose won.

BLITZER: So, he couldn't withstand the prose, as you are saying?

CUOMO: I think so.

BLITZER: Some have suggested, you know, he takes a punch, he may have a glass jaw. He can't take that kind of hit and keep on fighting.

CUOMO: His strength -- he is very intelligent. And now it is going to be a different race. Now he's not going to be able to win the way he won the first time around, with these splendid speeches. Now he has to match her on the prose.

or are you just confused by "wonk"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Policy_wonk

http://www.newsweek.com/id/91756

[stray cat]

29. My latte drinking, prius owning, liberal elitist buddy!

[OzarkDem]

21. Why can't he connect with women voters?

Just wondering.

[DUgosh]

25. because of Oprah endorsement

Oprah became a mouthpiece for the empowerment of women more than 20 years ago, now that we have a qualified woman she backs a man. Hmmmmmm I wonder why she chose him over Hillary, when empowering women is what made her so rich?

[Inspired]

22. It wouldn't hurt to have an endorsement from Edwards. n/t

[Horse with no Name]

26. I will be highly disappointed if Edwards endorses

obama OR Hillary.
He needs to stay out of it.

[Upfront]

24. Single payer, not for profit, national health care.

Would be one hell of a start.

[October]

27. Indeed

[stillcool]

31. I'm not sure how people...

meet the requirements for that demographic. Is it based on years of school, or yearly salary? The imagery that comes to mind is that of happy hour at the local bar. Of which I am very familiar. But those that I know that meet that criteria are as likely to vote for Obama as Clinton. Maybe it's geographic?

[Unsane]

32. Do about 30 townhall meetings throughout PA between now and April 22

[Jillian]

34. Get off his high horse.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

35. He did well in Wisconsin, which has a lot of blue collar voters.

I don't think that demographic is a lost cause by any means. Frankly, I can't figure out why they'd vote for Hillary.

[BigDaddy44]

36. I think he has to work the night shift like Hillary did

N/T

[noel711]

37. I've said it before...

Keep the ground game going...

Go into every Wal-Mart Parking Lot Rally, pass out American flags
to all the kiddies, start every rally with the Pledge to the flag
(and put your hand over your heart, and have every local newspaper
put that picture on the front page)....Take back the 'patriotism'
focus that surrounds every republican rally... wear the darn flag
pin.... It works in small town PA.

Go into every local small town diner, take off your suit jacket
and tie, roll up your sleeves, shake hands with the workers,
slap the cooks on the back, make small talk with the old vets having coffee
like they do every morning.. ..
(This is how W. won the middle of PA in the last election.. Kerry
took the state by scoring with the Philly area.. but if it worked
for Bushie, it'll work for Barak)...

OWN the name Hussein. Be OPEN about it... Face it head on in every
speech. But make it better.. say:"Yes, my midddle name is Hussein,
it means 'handsome one' (big shy smile).... Its a good name.. remember
King Hussein of JOrdan? A great friend of USA, and a peacemaker.
It don't mean I'm Muslim. I know a lot of good hispanic men who are
named 'Jesus' but that don't mean they are the Messiah... a rose by
any other name... you know.."

Walk the Main streets, greet the workers, you know you can do this!

Lots and lots of historic churches in Philly; do a heritage church tour,
heck, go to Independence Mall in Philly, and stage kick-ass rally
in the cradle of LIberty... have a photo op at the Liberty Bell, talk
about how important PHilly was to all settlers and slaves alike...
the city of Brotherly Love..

Visit the police academy, the Fire Academy, vocational school,
literacy centers, Senior Citizens centers, deliver Meals on Wheels...

participate in a community clean-up day... a block party..

Go to a Sixers Game... (we know you love the Bulls, but good basketball
is good publicity...maybe they'd let you take a few shots...

Shake hands gallantly with all the little old ladies; compliment them on
their hats...

Go out and be one of the folks...

Just my two cents worth..

[woolldog]

38. Great post noel711!

Very nice suggestions. It's the little things.

He also needs to tone down his rhetoric and be more wonkish. Working class voters listen to his speeches and think that's all there is too him. Those who are more informed know that's not the truth, but those who aren't political junkies might not know that.

[Cha]

42. This is great, noel!

Get it out there to the Obama campaign in PA!

[snappyturtle]

39. Tell'em about the Cllintons' dealing with Dubai! Maybe then they'll

realize that HRC doesn't have their best interests at heart.

[frazzled]

41. I hate to say it, but ...

not be black?

Also, the states where he has lagged in this blue collar vote are traditional Democratic machine states (PA, OH, etc., except for Illinois, of course). The Clintons, understandably, control a good part of the machine by virtue of calling in chits. There is really little he can do to overcome the machine except appeal directly to the people.

[noel711]

43. Excuse me....?

NOt be black?

Like blue collar Americans won't give him a look?

Excuse me?

[frazzled]

46. Others have written about the factor of race among northern blue-collar workers,

especially in the Rust Belt (there was a good analysis on TPM last week). I am not being original here. Just as there are segments of the white male population who won't vote for a woman, there are segments of the blue-collar population who won't vote for an African American. In Southern states and non-Southern states with smaller black populations, this has not been as much a problem for Obama. Elsewhere, it does come into play as a factor, although how much is hard to tell.

[David__77]

44. This comes down to gender primarily.

Obama does just fine among blue collar men. He needs to win over the women too.

[BadgerLaw2010]

48. Lose the cult of personality shit. It really does not go over well.

[DS1]

49. What part of "How does my candidate get the blue collar vote" translates to cult of personality ?