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

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The Huffington Post
First Posted: 04-23-08 05:27 PM   |   Updated: 05- 1-08 05:12 AM

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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.

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, go...
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, go...
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He'll win enough of those but she won't win without Black gays, young voters and the highly educated.

Graze on that!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:42 PM on 04/23/2008

Huffie Puff and Obama seem content to let their bigotry against whites show - that demeaning picture that HuffPuff ran all day yesterday depicting White Men as fat stupid racists, basically tells you all you need to know, not to mention the blogs that dogged out White men.

Bigots for Obama!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:33 PM on 04/23/2008
- qdog112 I'm a Fan of qdog112 69 fans permalink
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Those guys were fat, but, you called them stupid and racists. No one else did. That says a lot about you.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:43 PM on 04/23/2008
- Sparklez I'm a Fan of Sparklez 4 fans permalink

Omega?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:09 PM on 04/23/2008

TeeHee! Stereotypes run deep in everyone don't they? Even among ourselves.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:34 PM on 04/23/2008
- livesimply I'm a Fan of livesimply 25 fans permalink
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Bigots against bigotry!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:46 PM on 04/23/2008

All this pre- and post-Pennsylvania analysis has led me to change my future voting pattern.
I am sick and tired of, election after election, facing the "vote for the least evil" choice and I'm just not going to play that game any longer.

If the Democratic party wants to fret about the political choices of Archie Bunker and abandons progressive values to choose a candidate that panders to ethnic whites or Reagan Democrat or rednecks, whatever you choose to call them (when convenient .... "screw 'em" when not), I won't vote for that candidate just because her hideous values are less bad than those offered by the Republican candidate.

The Democrats have been playing this game for most of my life and, it has done nothing but slow down our progress on issues that represent true American values.

From now on, Democrats, you're on notice .... impress me with something good if you want my vote.
You can no longer depend on that vote just because your candidate is less bad than the Republican.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:32 PM on 04/23/2008

Losing an election on moral principles will precisely accomplish what you seem to be upset about. you must play to win, that is an unfortunate reality that liberal progressives seem to consistently overlook.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:43 PM on 04/23/2008

Like I said, I've played along with that game for my fifty years and it just really doesn't work. We've just continued to sell our souls, as a nation, to the corporatists.

Maybe if progressives just sit out the "less bad" elections and let Archie Bunker have a go at things for a few elections, the American public will realize that voting on flag pins isn't such a great idea. Tough love, that's my new position. You want to cater to "Reagan Democrats," go ahead and do it. See where that gets you and the nation. When you're ready to take this nation forward instead of petting the prejudiced, we can talk.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:59 PM on 04/23/2008
- patch61 I'm a Fan of patch61 2 fans permalink

tavis smiley its ok to feel what you do because when your asked to be somewhere you come. i did see sen.hillar­y clinton come there even though she apologized for her husband she did show up and about wal-mart they gave her 50,000 for her campigan so how hateful are they.....j­ust to mention you realize what you wanted for the katrina people, brad pitt ,jolie and president clinton and wife is trying to help still . i dont think what your doing is wrong there calling it rightous i think its called the principal of it.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:30 PM on 04/23/2008
- qdog112 I'm a Fan of qdog112 69 fans permalink
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Please run your next post past your editor first. Maybe they can help.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:59 PM on 04/23/2008
- kittyma I'm a Fan of kittyma 15 fans permalink

My God! Why don't people listen to what people actually say instead of what the media and spinmeiseters say they have said?

Unless and until you do, you will be destined to be dictated to by the media and to have them tell you what to think. LISTEN AND THINK!!!!!!!!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:17 PM on 04/23/2008
- patch61 I'm a Fan of patch61 2 fans permalink

not sen.hillar­y clinton she even makes good with the catholic votes.....­....your funny

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:16 PM on 04/23/2008
- trinity I'm a Fan of trinity 9 fans permalink

Catholic voters go Republican­...they forget all about the teachings of Christ when it comes to being peacemakers and helping the poor/oppressed (and the vast majority of the New Testament in general) and concentrate only on ABORTION, ABORTION, ABORTION!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:27 PM on 04/23/2008
- trinity I'm a Fan of trinity 9 fans permalink

This makes me think of a "pep talk" given by the president of the local trade unit my husband belongs during the last presidential election. He told the members to vote with their paycheck, not their emotions. Too many union members are more concerned about abortion and their guns than their wages. Non-union electricians make at most half of what a union electrician does does around here (10-15.00/­hr. versus 32.00/hr). But yet union members have supported Republican candidates in the past, who push for "right to work" status that would bring down their wages. And they do it to protect their guns and to push the pro-life agenda.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:07 PM on 04/23/2008

Oh, this is so true...the Republicans are already talking about..."V­ote McCain...h­e'll cut taxes!" yet all the material tax cuts he's talking about go to the very wealthy and corporatio­ns...widen­ing the class divide will exploding the deficit!

The only candidates talking about tax cuts that will help the majority of Americans are the Democrats!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:27 PM on 04/23/2008

Which is why they feel, what emotions? "Bitter and frustrated"

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:20 PM on 04/23/2008
- dutchess2 I'm a Fan of dutchess2 17 fans permalink

It is true, and it has been true since Reagan.... blue collar workers vote against their self interests.­..

Bill Clinton noted that Bush and Reagan scared them to death and they voted against their own interests.­.. Barack Obama analyzed it a bit differently, saying they had seen a succession of
POTSU come and go without changing their job situation, so they no longer voted on jobs or thought Washington would ever help them, instead they invested their effort in the right to bear arms, anti immigration, church and family (republican issues)...

Call the blue dog democrats, Reagan Democrats, whatever you like, they have always voted against their own economic interests in favor of the emotional issues... they why is perceived the same from generation to generation­... scared to death... defeated, bitter, however you want to phrase it.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:06 PM on 04/23/2008
- MizLiz I'm a Fan of MizLiz 59 fans permalink
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Yes, but WHY? I've talked to these people, and they seem to be isolated, uneducated, and..yes..­bitter. Do they really think the Republicans care about them at all? I've asked them that...men­tioned tax cuts for the rich at their expense...­and then the stubborness comes out: "Yeah, but they'll put prayer back in the schools"..­."yeah, but they'll keep the gay agenda away from our kids"..."y­eah, but they'll protect our gun rights"...­....and so it goes. I guess they deserve what they get, except unfortunately WE get it too.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:15 PM on 04/23/2008
- trinity I'm a Fan of trinity 9 fans permalink

It's amazing how well the "God, guns, and gays" agenda works on Republican and many Democrats alike.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:37 PM on 04/23/2008
- Barbyrah I'm a Fan of Barbyrah 8 fans permalink

Maybe not this time...I sense this election may be about shifting the definition of "Democrat.­" For example, Barack has energized the youth vote potential like no other candidate.­..yet pundits can only say, "Yeah, but they've NEVER voted in large numbers before, so they won't do it this time around either."
Then again...ma­ybe not.
Same with people like me - who haven't voted in decades. Why? Just couldn't (morally) support such a corrupt and negative-based system. And there ARE many like me who've been sitting out for a long time. (Half of voting-aged people in this country DON'T VOTE. So what if...they now come forward saying, "Finally!!! YES! I'm in!")
So maybe, just maybe...we­'re "evolving" the party. Maybe, just maybe...th­is will be a party of hope, optimism, good will, inclusivity, assuming the best, wishing the best for others, etc. after this gets played out.
With all due respect to those traditional "bases" of the party...ma­ybe they won't be needed in order to win. I see the potential for Barack to win states Dems have traditionally never won, which offsets loosing what were once thought to be "must win" states, with "must win" demographics.
Bottom line: The talking heads don't understand the bigger picture involved here. They keep analyzing from the Old Game perspective. And assume the party is static. Entrenched. And can only participate from that Old Game perspective.
Me thinks they might be in for a nice surprise this fall.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:12 PM on 04/23/2008

And the rest of us have to live with their bad choices!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:25 PM on 04/23/2008
- dutchess2 I'm a Fan of dutchess2 17 fans permalink

Hillary is unelectable in any state of the union without the black AND white supporters of Obama.

She will NOT get them if she wins the nomination down and dirty....a­nd she's trying everything she knows to do just that.

Ron Paul is still on the ballot...i­f he is not come November, if Hillary is the nominee selected by the superdels, then write him in.

He's a strict constitutionalist. He says a true conservative does not START wars, and he wants to do away with the IRS...he's also not real keen on the lobbiests. He'll have a host of democrat
Congress majority to help him.

That will send a message to Bill and Hillary and James Cargille about dishonest. It will send a message of support and encouragement to all the people they've tossed under the bus.

I am not sure that McCain could beat the most conservative republicans, and the Obamicans.­..

Serve them all for being so dishonest and dirty.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:01 PM on 04/23/2008
- MizLiz I'm a Fan of MizLiz 59 fans permalink
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One thing about Ron Paul...jus­t how does he think the US Government is going to run without any money? Are we supposed to all send in donations?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:17 PM on 04/23/2008
- NuOrigin I'm a Fan of NuOrigin 3 fans permalink
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This Democratic election shows me that we need some sort of intelligence standard to be allowed to vote.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:58 PM on 04/23/2008

This is exactly the kind of elitist attitudes that the Republicans can exploit to get working people to vote against their economic self interest.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:13 PM on 04/23/2008
- Seankelly I'm a Fan of Seankelly 2 fans permalink

I've never met 'white trash' - I've met white people who struggle day to day to pay their bills, who want health insurance and so on.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:55 PM on 04/23/2008
- antaeus I'm a Fan of antaeus 88 fans permalink
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Thank you for that. It's outrageous that some posters here are using that phrase.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:58 PM on 04/23/2008
- halyscomet I'm a Fan of halyscomet 7 fans permalink

Totally agree. Their is NO room for such a phrase.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:02 PM on 04/23/2008
- jrw712 I'm a Fan of jrw712 4 fans permalink

Obviously you've never been to Uniontown, AL, or ever met my Uncle Jim, or Buck White and a thousand other persons I've known and NOT loved over my 60 years. And the designation is absolutely appropriate, or if you prefer, "low and common as pig tracks."

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:21 PM on 04/23/2008

And yet these people will vote Republican because they will protect them from the gays and the people who want to take away their guns. And they still will have to struggle day to day to pay their bills and they still will have inadequate health insurance.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:01 PM on 04/23/2008

I have dear friends as co-workers. . . TEACHERS, in fact, who *still* believe that Obama is a Muslim.

Call it what you will. White trash isn;t the word. . . . maybe "ignorant" is.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:09 PM on 04/23/2008

I am surprised that analysts talked about Obama's has problems with white men, oldies, women, electability … but no one said Clinton has problems with black men and women, young men and women, educated men and women, new voters, her untrusworthiness, her negativity, and most important of all, her having less votes!
And, whenever they said about MI, they added Clinton votes in but Obama had NONE (this is how Clinton misleadingly declared today she won the most popular votes ever!).
In FL, where her name is the most recognizable, especially when she was the inevitable, without campaigning of course she had more votes. Also, there were many voters who thought their votes will not be counted and stay home or not mark their votes.
Whatever problems both of them have, the result is Obama has won more pledged delegates. Period!
Sometimes, it seems they just talk to fill up the 24/7 time on the TV without thinking! or are they sheep just follow the pipers' tunes?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:55 PM on 04/23/2008
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Why are you surprised justob? Blacks have always voted dem. and Hillary is betting on that if she steals the nomination. However, she will be sadly mistaken. You've probably seen just on these blogs how the older folks thumb their noses at the young suggesting that they aren't wise enough to make an informed decision. Well I say, Hillary and others had no problem sending our young to fight this debacle. If they're old enough to die for our freedom then they're sure as hell wise enough to know who they believe is the better candidate.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:29 PM on 04/23/2008

It is sad to see that Old people and uneducated people of the united states of america are deciding the faith of our future. God help us.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:55 PM on 04/23/2008

Melelo: OK. So who should decide? How exactly would that work? What kind of qualifications would you suggest to be able to vote in a democracy?

Normally, I just ignore such ignorant posts as it is highly unlikely to be able to sway anyone who is so foolish to start with. Can't ignore this one.

Most of those older voters you are complaining about fought in WWII..or had a brother/uncle or someone else who did. Your butt wouldn't have what you have today had they not sacrificed beyond the call of duty. Read "The Greatest Generation­"...then come back here and make a similar post. I dare you. My father flew paratroopers behind enemy lines in the Asian theater in WWII. You damn well bet his vote counts.

As far as uneducated people. Some of the smartest people I know don't have a long list of educational credentials, but out- work and out -smart their educated counterparts. (btw, I have my MBA - I have no personal bias here)

And before you hit the post button on a post that calls people stupid...p­roofread your work...I think you meant "fate of our future"...­but given the stupidity of your post, that is only a guess.


Finally, God help you gain some perspective, insight and wisdom. I have much more faith in older and uneducated people to decide the fate of our country than anyone who makes statements like the statements you posted above.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:49 PM on 04/23/2008
- antaeus I'm a Fan of antaeus 88 fans permalink
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If he's referring to a national aggregate number, then SO WHAT? It's also true that Dems have been carrying Pennsylvania in recent general elections, and if Obama is ready to write off that crucial state, then say hello to McGovern II.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:49 PM on 04/23/2008

Governor Rendell says he believes the Democrats can deliver PA for Obama in the fall, if he is the nominee.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:30 PM on 04/23/2008
- antaeus I'm a Fan of antaeus 88 fans permalink
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He said that before over 70% of white PA Catholics voted for Hillary on Tuesday.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:25 PM on 04/23/2008

And what makes you think that Obama is ready to write off PA? Has he said so?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:02 PM on 04/23/2008
- antaeus I'm a Fan of antaeus 88 fans permalink
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I am responding to Axelrod's comments--and those aren't the words of someone planning to fight for those votes.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:27 PM on 04/23/2008
- dutchess2 I'm a Fan of dutchess2 17 fans permalink

Antaeus..

No, you're giving it the wrong inference.­..

Democrats never attract the blue collar worker... even if they are strongly supported by unions,
because since Reagan, republicans have used the wedge issues against them.... don't notice that I'm shutting down unions, giving big corporate tax breaks while raising your taxes and fees, don't worry about NAFTA, we'll even up the playng field...ex­cept they never did negotiate or enact the fair labor standards or the safety and welfare issues in Mexico and China American Mfg. had to comply with, so they went belly up and the jobs moved overseas..­..

Thus Bill Clinton said Reagan and Bush and the republicans scared the white guy into voting against their economic interest, and distracted them with the wedge issues they promoted, gun control, right to bear arms, immigration, illegal immigration, amnesty, gay rights, gay marriages, and the result of it all was the loss of more jobs, more health insurance, more pensions..­.

No one's giving up on PA, just that no one's expecting blue collar workers to suddenly understand what the Reagan, Bush junta, Clinton administrations were doing all along.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:27 PM on 04/23/2008
- globality I'm a Fan of globality 19 fans permalink

The ignorant white trash vote usually goes GOP

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:42 PM on 04/23/2008
- Savanarola I'm a Fan of Savanarola 5 fans permalink

THE LOW-FOREHEAD VOTE DOES GENERALLY GO TO THE GOP, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO.
BILL CLINTON SHOWED THAT DEMOCRATS COULD APPEAL TO THE KNUCKLE DRAGGERS AND THE DOUBLE-WIDE QUEENS. AXELROD JUS DOES NOT KNOW WHAT HE IS DOING...I SAY FIRE THE BASTARD AND SEND HIM TO WORK FOR PENN.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:50 PM on 04/23/2008

Maybe so. We may need to toss his rolodex card, too. But trouble is, Obama has an uncatchable lead right now in the Dem primary with his help.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:39 PM on 04/23/2008
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