Obama Strategist: Don't Worry, Dems Usually Lose White Working Class

During an interview with NPR, Obama's top strategist David Axelrod played down his candidate's loss in Pennsylvania.

"The white working class has gone to the Republican nominee for many elections, going back even to the Clinton years," Axelrod said. "This is not new that Democratic candidates don't rely solely on those votes."

He also said winning Pennsylvania was "an almost impossible task" and "a home game" for Clinton. "It hasn't changed the fundamentals of the race."

During a CNN Radio interview, however, Obama himself acknowledged that his campaign needed to work harder to win that demographic:

Obama argued that his campaign had laid the groundwork for the fall in a large swing state that the eventual Democratic nominee will need to win.

"Overall we feel good about the work that we did," he said on CNN Radio.

Obama conceded, however, that he still must do a better job reaching out and attracting blue collar, older voters. He said that Clinton's argument that she has more experience "might have more traction" with those voters.

Comments

[WaynesWhirled]

Obama's campaign is going out of it's way to alienate white people. It's not like Rev. Wright and Obama's bitter comments haven't done enough damage. Now we need Axelroad chiming in as well. Obama will not win, and he only has himself, his pastor and his surrogates to blame.

[GravitonX]

Axelrod's statement was a strategic consideration. Given history, it's true. I praise Axelrod's humble brilliance. However, his statement does not mean that the working-class white vote will not be fought for tooth-and-nail and that their concerns are not the concerns of the Democratic, though if coddling that vote means using tactics that would ultimately lead to a Pyrrhic victory and the demise of the party, other options and scenarios for victory must be considered.

[BigBen]

Quick. Tell Howard Dean what Axelrod believes and save the democrats a lot of money.

[ObamaSuperDelegate]

Here we go again -

Many Clinton supporters are saying they won't support the Democratic presidential candidate if she isn't their candidate.

Many Obama supporters are saying the same thing, a lot more than what you think!

[rollingdivision]

Clinton, Obama, Dean and those who agreed to the awful Democratic primary rules have fractured the Democrats' coalition. Many Clinton supporters are saying they won't support the Democratic presidential candidate if she isn't their candidate. These unhappy Democrats will mostly return after Obama is nominated. But not all will return, and that is Pennsylvania's warning to the Democratic Party. And, in a nearly evenly split country this will be a huge problem for the Democrats.

[VA2008]

What that headline should state is the the Clintons, by their own doing, have lost most of the black vote! So I guess Obama is still ahead.....and don't be fooled that all white women over 50 are supporting Hillary either. I am one and I am supporting Obama. He deserves my vote. He is honest, he can lead this country to great things (that's why the other two and their supporters are so afraid of him), he has morals (something lacking in the other two choices), he respects women (John doesn't: called wife the "c" word; Hillary is no lesbian so she just uses them for their votes until she's out), he has a terrific sense of humor, and he has great command of the English language and can actually write his own speeches and form his own thoughts into a full sentence (something Bush (greetification) and McBush will never do).

Obama 2008

[BigBen]

Obama played the race card from the beginning. He decided to be black. With a white mother and a black father Obama picked black and so played the race card in reality.Why did he not say I am neither black nor white. But he choose the black scene to make his bid for political success.Sad to say he played the race card not Bill Clinton.

[polish]

What great things? Tell me about the promised land he's going to lead us to. His sense of humor and great command of the English language doesn't make him a great leader. "You" don't be fooled by the hope pope, messiah and great orator. No one is afraid of him as you say. He's just a dog and pony show and his only goal in life is satisfying his big ego to have the title of President.

[ObamaSuperDelegate]

And what might her goal be? Stop being so negative about him and start being more positive about your candidate and then maybe, just maybe, you could persuade some of us.

[Eyetheenk]

If you are genuinely interested in his accomplishments you can follow this link and read about them. And there are many other sources regarding his background. However, I suspect that's not your real point here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama

[fourex]

Since Ronald Reagan this has been a fact, and it parallels the decline in middle class jobs and living standards.

[southsideirish]

Alright. As Senator Obama supporter, I agree that we need white, working class. But that headline is really misleading. He didn't really say that.

[ObamaSuperDelegate]

We need all people, let's not forget that.

[NCGuy]

You all know deep down that the dem ticket in the fall is going to have both of these candidates on it.

The only question will be who is at the top of the ticket.

You also know that whichever one is the VP on the ticket will give a rousing speech to rally their supporters.

Black voters will NOT support McCain over Obama as VP when it means Obama will get the experience he needs as VP to become president later.

Women would probably support Clinton as VP as well.

The tricky part is getting the blue collar white voters (Reagan dems) and indies to support the dem ticket over McCain.

McCain has always appealed to indies, moderate repugs and Reagan dems.

The Supers are going to have to decide whether Clinton or Obama at the top of the ticket will take more of those voters away from McCain.

[charliemudcat]

I think you are mistaken that they will both be on the ticket. If Obama is the nominee, I doubt he will want to drag down his ticket by putting Clinton on it. For Obama supporters, one of the last things they would want is to have Clinton on the ticket.

As far as Obama being the Veep, why would he want to share the WH with Bill and Hillary when Bill will effectively be the new Dick Cheney, determining all decisions from the shadows? Any VP to Hillary will have to contend with Bill. If she is the nomine, which I believe will be highly unlikely, Obama will not take the VP spot.

I am lobbying for an Obama/Sebelius ticket. That would hopefully bring home the Clinton supporters. I hope.

[BigBen]

Maybe the super delegates will say to both "Either you go along with our plan or we will support the other candidate"

[LBM]

How exactly is this any different than what Bill said about South Carolina? The media should eat Axelrod alive just like they did to Bill. The problem for the Obama camp is that Hillary makes every state feel that it is her home state. She knows how to connect with the people and does a great job of converting the skeptical. Obama was able to use his star appeal to get within a couple of points and even ahead of her in the PA polls until people actually listened to what he had to say in the debate. That is what lost it for him, and lost it big.

[fourex]

LBM, "How exactly is this any different than what Bill said about South Carolina"

Because it's factual and not intended to deceive. Since Ronald Reagan this has been a fact and it parallels the decline in middle class jobs and living standards.

[NCGuy]

I can't believe this statement by Axelrod hasn't gotten more play in the media than it has. He is saying don't worry about the blue collar white voters because they never vote for dems anyway.

Those blue collar white voters are the reason we had Reagan and Bush 1 and now Bush II for 8 years. Axelrod had better remember that.

[ObamaSuperDelegate]

It is so annoying that people will pick up on the smallest thing that gets said by the Obama campaign and run with for days at a time, making a mountain out of a molehill, whether it's true or not true. No matter how small, it becomes huge! Hillary on the other hand can come right out and say "SCREW THEM" and it bareley gets any play at all. It just tells me that the people that run with this kind of stuff are the people that would never vote for Obama anyways. Be honest!

[BigBen]

Small ! that is ENORMOUS.

[NCGuy]

you are comparing something Axelrod said NOW, with something Clinton may have said yeras ago?

[urfree2speak]

I am a VOTER...I am a African American and I am not blind ....African Americans supported BILL CLINTON ...WE SUPPPORTED ALL OF THE WHITE PEOPLE THAT RAN FOR THIE HIGHEST OFFICE IN THE LAND ... in the Democratic party. But I will tell you this, I will NEVER forget this racial minstrel show that some in the Democratic party has trotted out to the American people. Katrina....now this....Bill Clinton would NOT even sign the anti racial profiling bill....there are single mothers TRAPPED in poverty working just to pay the child care bill..see Bill Clinton and so called Welfare Reform.

We supported Bill Clinton when the republicans were screaming for his scalp...his hide.... over what? WE KNOW WHAT THAT WAS...how low and sad can you sink?...... Well I guess you can sink LOWER....African Americans gave him this "overwhelming black support"

Now he mocks the African American and all of what they stand for ..

Behold the Clinton legacy "the first black president" has literally been steam powered by a young half black man , that has ran a brilliant campaign..managed his resources and is not begging for cash to continue to sling mud at this man (Willie Horten style) Well i say this IT IS OVER...finished....

Lets not for get the brave troops fighting and dying..BALCK AND WHITE... all we can do is this?

What was that that Rev. Wright really said?

[BigBen]

What are you talking about. Bill Clinton never mocked the Black people of this world. He is a personal friend Nelson Mandella. His office is in Harlem. He has always supported black people . There is a picture of the Prayer Breakfast at the White House and he is embracing Rev. Wright.. What other politician would show such loyalty to the black community? The fact that he supports his wife does not mean he has turned his back on the black community. I might even say the black community has betrayed Bill. But I won't But who am I to judge others?

[epsiloneon]

Obama can"t win in November period. Obama has lost a lot of the white vote, even if he wins the democratic nomination he is already a loser. The states he won are red states (they always vote republican that"s why they are called red), and the presidential election is won by electoral votes not popular vote. McCain will take all those states that Obama has in his win column, and Obama and his speech writers will be left pissing in the wind. Right now a vote for Obama is a vote for McCain hopefully the super delegates will realize this or Obama will and drop out, he is only helping the republicans.

[EuroPreacher]

Hillary cannot win in November because of stuff like these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMfUajhL24I&feature=related
and many more!

[iluvsummr]

Yes he can. He won Wisconsin, Iowa, Idaho, Maine, Washington State, Utah, and many states that have an insignificant black population. Don't be disingenuous - he could not possibly lead in pledged delegates without significant support from white voters. Your argument is that the Democratic party should pander to racists. If that is ultimately what the party is about, then expect mass defections.

[epsiloneon]

iluvsummr you have missed the whole point. The states you have pointed out will vote republican in November. Apparently you don't know what a red state is. I did not argue that the dems should pander to racists, however they have, and mass defections has occur. The dems are afraid to point out racisms if it is the blacks who are racist.

[pbziegler]

If its true that the Democratic party has to woo white working class racists then why the hell should I remain a democrat. If the Democratic party has to woo gun slinger religious fundamentalists it can't count me in any longer. What makes me think Hillary would rather see McCain win in a general election against Obama (should he get the nomination)? If she wants to be president bad enough she could run again in 4 years with Obama off the screen. It seems pretty clear to me that her political drive and cunning outways her desire to see Obama in the White House. And to think I used to like her. And Bill.

[epsiloneon]

pbziegler The democrats have to woo all voters to win. Obama disenfranchised the white voters by attending a church for 20 years that has a pastor who makes statements that are considered at the very least racist. Obama bitter statements did to the religious and gun owners what America has been doing to blacks for years he placed them in a neat package and called them all dumb asses. The Obama supporters keep blaming Hillary for Obama"s gaffe which is crazy. Obama not Hillary took money from Rezko for his house, Obama not Hillary attended the Rev Wrights church of hate, Obama not Hillary served on a board with Ayers and had him launch his bid for senate, Obama not Hillary made the bitter comment, so take the blinders off put the blame for Obama"s mistakes where they belong on Obama.

[UrbanRevolution]

Please name on racist statement that Rev. Wright said.

[DGregory]

people need to get a grip;

obama camp tries to down play = most of the people who voted for hillary are die hard demo anyways that will vote for barack in fall

clinton camp tries to down play = the black/youth vote hillary is not getting will most likely vote for her come the fall if she wins.

this is called spin of perception people!!!!!!

if you view your opponent as not winning, you are winning

Iraq war hasnt made diddle progress in 5 yrs but if you dont mention the war or scrutinize the war. Most will think hmm the war is going good.

listen to obama himself to see that he tries to be optimistic "well try harder"

if one thing you havent learned this political season is to freakn analytical people.

[iluvsummr]

Not if she wins the nomination by overturning the will of the majority of people that have voted. You discount the demoralizing effect that would have on many.