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

[BitterInPA]

Would someone explain to me how Hillary is on a comeback?
In 18 races since Feb 9th she has only won 3 (RI, OH, PA).

So 15 loses out of 18 and she is a winner?

[MTJD]

Let's see. Barry lost Ohio, Michigan, California, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvan­ia....Oh, but that's right...he got Idaho.... Barry = fatuous loser.

[Pammy1151]

He didn't lose Michigan, Florida, and he ended up with more delegates in Texas. Get your story straight.

[GBecker]

There's 50 states, idiot. Obama has won twice as many 30-15. Oh, did I mention you're an idiot.

[BitterInPA]

He won 30 states so far. I guess you did not hear, but FL and MI do not count (you know what rules mean... right?). You should also buy a calendar and learn to count, since she has only won 3 states since super Tuesday.
http://election.cbsnews.com/campaign2008/d_delegateScorecard.shtml

Get used to it. The next President will be Obama or McCain, but it will never be Hillary. She wants to run the country, but can't run her own house (or man). Please.

[Sparklez]

No Florida and Certainly no Michigan

Texas doesnt count. Red as koolaid

[ejay579]

You need to take remedial steps to attain enlightenment. There is nothing you can do about being white. But if you get a better education, you can earn more than $50k a year.

[illinoisan]

If Obama must go negative, he should call out Clinton on her lying. He doesn't have to use the words "liar" or "lied or "lying". He should quote her own words incessantly, "On a couple of occasions in the last weeks I just said some things that weren't in keeping with what I knew to be the case." He should commit the phrase to memory and repeat it ad nauseum until it becomes a catch phrase. He could condense it down to "saying things that weren't in keeping with what she knew to be the case".

[BitterInPA]

He can't go negative on the angry old white women. It's called sassing, and a black man is smart enough to know that you don't do that.

He can't do it, but someone my proxy can. Too bad that half of the talking heads on TV are former Clinton's 1992 team (Stephanopoulos, Dee Dee Myers, Paul Begala, James Carville). The real question is... if Hillary can't "close" this, why not?

[DaCoach]

If Senator Obama wants to penetrate the Reagan Dems he had better get someone on his staff that has a clue what motivates them. Can anyone tell me the last time they saw someone bowl wearing a white shirt and tie? Yet there was our beloved Senator doing just that. And, after that 37 score, he was a laughingstock for over a week. I wrote over a month ago to his staff and suggested he have some events showing him playing basketball. It would have been a perfect opportunity to show them his distinction between both Hillary and McCain.

The blue collars are right in Obama's wheelhouse. They believe everything he proposes. But his style so far has allowed Clinton to portray him as a wimp, elitist, and completely out of touch with them. Let's get someone up there who understand their expectations. More sizzle, less steak.

[UnbiasView]

Maybe he could start by telling people he won't be raising the capital gains tax by 100%. 52% of Americans own stock and this would be yet another tax on them.

[Pammy1151]

It has nothing to do with the stock people own. Won't be affected. Look it up on his website.

[Pammy1151]

Now coach I agree with you. I love the man and think he is brilliant. Part of me agrees with you but another part of me does not understand what this stuff about be an elitist is all about. I personally don't see him as an elitist to begin with but you know what after having this idiot in the white house for eight years I am not sure I wouldn't mind having an elitist in there. Why does the president have to be someone we want to have a beer with or go bowling with. Can't we just have a person we like and respect in there. He is definately and emotionally healthy person also and that is a real plus after the nut in there now.

[mikekev58]

Pammy1151.­..that is the problem with Obama, I think. He, like you, doesn't understand this stuff about being an elitist. Americans obviously love a smart President, the current occupant of the Oval Office notwithstanding. Americans liked JFK and he was headed to a convincing re-election had he lived. Americans liked Bill Clinton, despite his flaws. But both JFK and Bill Clinton were smart but they had what we call "the common touch".

That's not about having a beer with the guys at the local tappie. It's about empathy. And I'm afraid for all his supposed charisma, Barry does not convey empathy to many in the Democratic base. I can only hope that most of us in that base can overcome the real and perceived aura of condescension that comes from Barry and his supporters. We need to take back the White House and you are right, Pammy1151.­..even an elitist Democrat is better than what we currently have and better than the Bush-Cheney policies that John McCain will continue if he is elected.

[bpd1069]

I wouldn't want to have a beer with Bush (Alcoholic) or go hunting with Cheney (Psychopath).

[Sparklez]

Just like he has a problem with Seniors, not necessarily working class whites, she has a problem with the African American vote

Im an AA woman and im for Obama. My mother already stated as well as others i know that they will not vote for her come time election day if they overrule all these states, delegates, popular vote, etc.

Cant win an election without the black vote and she will certainly lose that. We already feel like our voice is not heard

[heal57]

Your voice IS heard. Remember Iowa. We can all come together. Obama has no problem with this senior cause I want my kids and grandkids to have a better life.

Independents for Obama '08

[Sparklez]

Tru indeed

But many people feel as though if he is disenfranchised, its like forget our vote

My mother also is 59 and from what i gather, she liked Hillary at first but always said she owes lots of favors

Then Hill went negative

And my mother just hated it

She really needs to stop before she loses a base that has supported the Clintons and are willing to support her if Obama doesnt win.

[ObamaSuperDelegate]

Thank you so much for your kind words.

[hank48188]

Obama was doing real well with white folks when they thought he was a "Tiger Woods" type, that is how the MSM made him appear, the MSM were cheerleaders for Obama. Now the real Obama is being seen by Americans, they see him with Rev. Wright for 20 years while the Rev. blames the victims of 9/11 for their own deaths and spews hate of white folks and America. They see that Obama sought the support of two WEATHERMEN TERRORISTS who bombed the PENTAGON when he ran for State Senate, Obama is still friends with these TERRORISTS. You better look at the exit polls from the vote yesterday in PA., the only group he won in the whole State was black folks, everyone else was for Hillary. The Tony Rezko trial continues in Chicago, they let Tony out of jail on a $8 million bond and more people are copping pleas.

[Sparklez]

He got the young voters

They just didnt vote in large numbers

He also got the college educated voters

[cruiser049]

MSM wants this to go on. Look at it. A candidate, Obama / Clinton starts to do good and the MSM stirs the pot. In response, the candidates need to buy air time for ads. MSM racks in the dough till the other candidate is trailing then they start broadcasting more bs the other way. Keep this perpetual money machine going, it's good for MSM not the citizens of this country, Meanwhile, Murdoch is laughing all the way to the bank.

[JayJ1130]

You mean the two weather underground terrorists that CLINTON pardoned? Because if you mean Ayers, he's never been convicted of anything and is a college professor. Why isn't he under arrest or already in prison if he's a terrorist? You know, like the ones that CLINTON pardoned.

[bpd1069]

Obama did better in PA than he did in OH:

Obama's percent of the vote:
OH PA

60 and older 28 38
White 34 38
White men 39 44
White women 31 34
Less than $50K 42 46
No college 40 38
College 51 49
Catholic 36 31
Protestant 36 53

So please stop making up facts. You can keep your opinions though, everyone is entitled.
http://dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/4/23/13332/4094/52/501331

[Pammy1151]

I am a 62 year old white woman an I am right with you on the NOT voting if they allow Hillary to steal the election. Plus many other I know will stand right there with you. I agree that you need your voices heard.

[ssmit98]

I'm with you Pammy1151!

[dumboldfarmer]

I am an old guy who also supports Obama.

[mikekev58]

Why am I not surprised that you are an "AA" woman and that you're for Obama?

Does Hillary really have a problem with the African American vote or is that just a fiction created because otherwise you would have to defend the 90% "AA" vote for Barry as being something having nothing to do with race?

The problem is, you can win an election without the black vote. Republicans have been doing it for years. And it sounds like you're gonna let them do it again if Democratic super delegates follow their consciences rather than the popular vote. I mean, the super delegates were not created to reflect the will of the people. If they had been, then Ted Kennedy and John Kerry would be casting their votes for Hillary.

It sounds to me that no matter what, you're saying that blacks will not come out and vote if Obama is not the nominee. Well, blacks have never come out in the numbers that would be truly representative of their percentage of the population, and as a result they - and the rest of us- have often wound up with politicians who have no interest in a constituency that doesn't vote in the numbers that would be truly representative.

[karmax]

One more thing, Obama lovers....­.the Repubs are starting on their ads in North Carolina with a Rev. Wright ad.....you think Hillary is NEGATIVE?????? Hold on boys and girls, your guy ain't seen nothin' yet!!! Better stop your whining...­...the guy is going to be put through the wringer.

Oh, bad-mouthing Hillary??? Who cares. You guys blame her for everything bad, the Repubs blamed Bill and Hill for everything bad since 1992 and since Bushie Boy has been in they still blame Bill Clinton for everything. MORAL OF THIS STORY??? EVERYBODY HAS BAD-MOUTHED HILL....sh­e can handle it. I bet NONE of you could have taken what she has....but she's not "likable".­....so whine along with your "likable" boy. Oh, by the way, Bush was "most likable"..­..a "guy you could have a beer with".....­so here the voters go again.....­.you want some buddy you can pick up on a bar stool while you are having a beer and put him in the White House.....­just grab an ole' buddy.

[Sparklez]

He has been taking it as well

And it shows

No way he should've lost by 10%. He should've lost by 25%-30%

She should've blew him out

And what does us taking what she has have to do with anything?

U sound dilly

[ssmit98]

You are a little late on that! We saw the ad, its called Extreme, in fact it has been on youtube for about 13 hours. You should check it out. It has 2 stars and many people are calling it a joke! Its actually kind of funny.

[heal57]

I think you can see how worried the republicans are about Obama. They're already starting. Obama is our net President no matter what Hillary and the Republicans throw at him.

Independents for Obama '08

[UnbiasView]

Really? Then why can't he win any big states?

[majseventh]

Really, than why did he do so poorly when questioned further on these issues.
Why did he avoid the press for 10 days after.
He can't take it.
He doesn't have the substance, but Hillary does.
Karmax, good post.

[Pammy1151]

Sounds like you are going with the fear factor here. We a;ready know about all those ads. It will only scare people away that arn't going to vote for him anyway.

[JayJ1130]

I think it was Hillary trying to be the gal you could have a beer with and throw back a few shots while cleaning guns after a day of duck hunting.

[karmax]

I am a Democrat, going to vote for McCain instead of Obama. In fact ten of my family members are going this route. McCain with a Democratic congress can be controlled a little. He will only last for four years, then a Democrat will win. After a loss, it will NOT be Obama (bye-bye). The country will REALLY be ready for a Democrat and we can take over for the following eight years. Have fun Obama....h­opefully you will lose!!!!

[Pammy1151]

Sounds like a threat to me but that is fine. Bye Bye

[dulios]

Supreme Court nominations, oh short-sighted one. You are obviously a Democrat who cares little for a woman's right to choose.

[Skex]

Then you are not a democrat simple as that.
Much as I dislike Clinton I'd still vote for her over a right wing nutjob like McCain. Obama is an excellent candidate with a solid platform and good progressive AMERICAN values. If you can't see past a 30 second sound bite then go join the Republicans where you belong.

[CatLadyforObama]

In fact, the reason she is going for personal attacks is because their positions on issues are too close to make a distinctio­n--telling us that really, any Dem who says they're voting for McCain over Obama is NOT a Dem at all (and maybe never was?)

[Sparklez]

So?

You're a repub, you are supposed to feel like this. You act like you are scaring us lol

Go ahead and vote for a recession and a war. High gas prices and the like

[2351]

Well take you ___on, and take your 10 family members with you. Is that suppose to hurt Obamas? Well, git!!!!!!!.

[libbyshaw]

Bottom line HRC can't win the math game. She has already lost the nomination but Mrs. Clinton is unable to face reality. Her negatives are too high. Polls today indicate she cannot beat John McCain. Obama can and this is why a smear attack campaign from the right will be in full force in NC on Monday.

The Democratic Party will not allow Clinton to change the rules in the middle of the game. We know that for every working class Democrat lost to Obama there is an Independent voter, newly registered Democratic voter and young moderate Republican who will vote for him.

Senator Obama signals the death knell of the filthy, misleading and anti-American politics of old. He has ushered in the new and hopeful. Why would anyone want to support a candidate of the past? More stupid wars? More of a bankrupt economy? More outsourced jobs? More lost homes to foreclosures? More victims of national disasters, i.e. Hurricane Katrina? More lost civil liberties? More illegal wiretapping? More torture? More bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran?

Give me a freaking break.

[UnbiasView]

"Bottom line HRC can't win the math game."

Bottom line #2: Obama can't win the nomination through the math game either, he needs the super delegates.

BTW, Why on Earth are the Democrats so stupid to even have these things? Why not let the people decide . . . there is no reason for super delegates unless you believe that the people can't make the right decision.

[Pammy1151]

Do these supers want to be reelected???? YES THEY DO

[evenstar]

I'm posting the Slate delegate counter again...ye­s, Obama needs the supers to win, but even if Hillary wins every remaining contest by 10 points (except North Carolina, assuming Obama wins by 10 points), she would need to convince over 63% of the supers to come her way. It doesn't seem horribly likely that she will win all the remaining contests (especially by that margin) or that that many supers will go her way, given the desire for supers to be re-elected (read Pammy1151) and that Obama has gotten the vast majority of new supers in the last 2 months.

http://www.slate.com/id/2185278/

[mikekev58]

"Senator Obama signals the death knell of the filthy, misleading and anti-American politics of old. He has ushered in the new and hopeful."

Oh, the horror. The horror.

How is it you can use old style name calling in one sentence and then welcome hope and change in the next sentence? Surely even you must see the inconsistency in what you've written.

[buckeye59]

I think Obamas biggest problem is going to be his association with Rev Wright and the weather underground guy.It is a safe bet that the repubs will beat those horses alot come fall.

[heal57]

Come on; how about Rev Hagee who hates Catholics and the S&L scandal; McCain's rotten temper and his terrible comments to his wife in front of reporters?

[ssmit98]

buckeye59, do you think that Hillary's terrorist ties would be a problem for her in the fall?

http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=65000531

Do not, by any means, fool yourself into thinking that Obama has more issues than Hillary. She is not Invincible!

[UnbiasView]

You really can't compare Hagee with Wright, McCain hasn't been a member of Hagee's church for 20 years.

BTW, BLACK LIBERATION THEOLOGY ISN'T EXACTLY THE BEST WAY TO UNITE

[sedonakaren]

If Rove didn't have those things, he'd use something else or make something up. Are you kidding? Wait until all the nice little tales about McCain come out....the 4-letter word he called his wife...his physical attack on another senator...­calling other congressmen f- - - ing jerks. Losing control of his very hot temper. He laughs it off now, but there are congressmen who say it's not just a normal bad temper. They are afraid he will LOSE CONTROL.

Do you really want this kind of man with his finger on the button? Representing American with foreign nations? ARRGH!

[CaptainVideo]

The Republicans have successfully used social wedge issues to get working class whites to vote against their economic self interest. But their economic situation has deteriorated so badly under the Bush administration that a populist appeal to their economic self interest can win them back if done properly. Obama should be able to do this, but so far has failed to do so. To change things, the first thing he needs to do is to get rid of Axelrod and people like him.

[majseventh]

Obama is for the poor and Hillary is the fighter for the middle class.
That is what it boils down to.

[bpd1069]

News Flash, the middle class is shrinking and turning poor...

[CTmom13]

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/04/23/the_speech_obama_cant_give/
Great article...­.the speech Sen Obama should give but can't

[Truthfighter1]

Because of the "white working class vote" Obama's candidacy is that much important, the newly registered Dems will even out their votes, if after all these years they don't get it then we have to look past them. Period!!!

Women,black, latinos,young, old rise up against this tradition, we can no longer let Bubba's votes run this country.

[DaCoach]

No, Bubba's don't run the country. Republicans run the country and the Senator must find a way to reach them. It's not as if they disagree with his policies. It's merely that Obama's staff hasn't a clue how to get his message across to them. I guarantee that showing him bowling in a white shirt and tie ain't the way.

[mikekev58]

well put.

[CaptainVideo]

"He said that Clinton's argument that she has more experience "might have more traction" with those voters"

Obama must make the case more clearly that Hillary's experience has been an experience of geting things wrong. The vote on the war resolution is only one of many examples. Another exampele, universal health care was the only major project Bill put Hillary in charge of, and she botched it.

[dutchess2]

OH FOR CRYIN ICE!

Axelrod's quote:

"This is not new that Democratic candidates don't rely solely on those votes."

How did we get to DEMS DON'T NEED WHITES...

Thinking as rapidly as Hillary and the racist boobs grab words and twist them, someone needs to get a bit more careful about the headlines they use...

[mikekev58]

Say what?

She said boobs..heh heh.

[CaptainVideo]

"The white working class has gone to the Republican nominee for many elections, going back even to the Clinton years,"

Obama, you have to get rid of this clueless idiot. The fact that white working class voters keep voting for the party of the rich, which shafts them economically and makes the rich richer at their expense is a scandal that any Democratic candidate worth his salt has to correct. The Democratid party is SUPPOSED TO BE THE REPRESENTATIVE OF WORKING PEOPLE, and if it is not, it is not worth keeping around.

[Taaj]

white working class believe that one day they can be the white elite, because they are constantly lied to. They are told to have a false sense of superiority because of the color of their skin, so their own ethnic group can use them as pawns to assist them in screwing everyone else. Unfortunately, they refuse to realize that they are among "everyone else". This is the reason why white working class continue to vote for the Republican Party.

Hopefully, after 8 years of Bush, no health care, losing their jobs and homes, children not getting a decent education and their sons and daughters dieing in Iraq, they will understand there is no priviledge in having white skin, just MONEY.

[08timefortruth]

I don't agree with all of your observation. Having grown up in the white working class I know alot of them are just hard working people and beleive it or not they support Obama. The ones that judge on race do so because they are at the bottom of the totem pole and cannot see that it is the government that fails them...ins­tead, just as Obama said, they blame minorities and make issues that are important to them like guns and religion the basis of their votes. They believe they think they are superior to minorities because they already know that in many ways their lives are inferior to many of their white peers and they need someone to blame for that. Unfortunatly, this ignorance is fed and passed along because the lives of blue collar working people are not improving either. What they truly do not get is that if we improve the lives of the most disadvantaged citizens then by default, we improve the lives of all citizens. For some reason I think some people are afraid that Obama will institute laws that only apply to blacks or other minorities­...how they think he can accomplish this (even if he wanted to which he does not) with a predominatly white congress is beyond me.

Once again I would like to remind you that just as all blacks are not gang bangers, all blue collar whites are not racist.

[Skex]

He's just stating the truth.
Geeze what is it with the Clinton people being so adverse to accepting reality.

Oh wait I know... Because once you accept reality is screwed up you might actually recognize your obligation to fix it. And that is the one thing that many Baby Boomers seem incapable of understanding.

[mikekev58]

Whoa...the­re we go...hit the Boomers, yep, so many of us who have paid the bills for this upcoming generation as well as for the previous generation have no clue about the nature of reality.

Tell that to the tens of thousands of our generation whose names are on that wall in D.C.

Tell that to the millions of us who have worked hard, paid our taxes, voted, volunteered, raised families and are not sailing off into the sunset of a comfortable retirement.

Good Lord...is it the intention of the Obama people to alienate every constituency they need to win in November? If so, it might be the one thing the campaign does succeed in doing.

[Truthfighter1]

All this flap for nothing, Obama is already the winner everyone get off the sauce and look at the math.

You Hill fans can rant and rave all you want but if your candidate had paid more attention to the "small states" instead of thinking the so called "big states" was the only thing that mattered, then maybe she'd be in the lead, uh but she didn't. She doesn't care about you small states out there the ones that if Kerry and Gore would have carried maybe one of them may have been President.

To all you so called small states that Clinton doesn't care about thank your for your support, Obama has campaigned in every state to date. He has earned what he has right now and that is the inevitable Democratic nominee.

[mikekev58]

You mean those small states that will go Republican in November?

Yeah, thanks guys.