What Oregon Says About America

As we all know, the dominant explanation coming out of Oregon and Kentucky's differing Democratic primary results will go like this: Oregonians are wealthier, better-educated and racially homogeneous, and therefore free of the kind of racial politics we have seen in other states recently. Hence their support for Obama. Kentuckians, by contrast, are poorer, less well-educated and are in a state with legacies of racial difference. Hence their support for Clinton. But before this story congeals into the inevitable conclusion that white working class folks simply won't support Obama, It is worth remembering two things. First, as Sam Stein pointed out in a post two days ago, Oregon is indeed a working class state. Second, it is a mistake to imagine that Oregon is somehow free of the racial history that formed the nation more generally. Oregon's lack of diversity is not an accident -- it is itself a legacy of white supremacy. The territorial constitution of the 1850s barred the settlement of both slaves and free blacks, and patterns of racial exclusion continued at least through the mid 20th century. Even in liberal Eugene, the entire African American community dwelt in a shanty town at the edge of the city up into the 1940s, as housing covenants and racist renting practices kept black families out of the city proper. People of color routinely experience racism in Oregon today, be it personal anti-black sleights at the grocery store or on the street, or English-only political campaigns, as is the case in many states. But true as that fact is, the Oregon primary shows that even where racism is a personal or social phenomenon, it is not necessarily the case that race always triumphs politically. Indeed, Oregon voters are clearly not driven by racial animus. Perhaps that is more true than we might think elsewhere as well.

If we trace back the evolution of the so-called "lunch-pail" Democrat (as if working people of color don't also eat lunch) we come first to the Reagan Democrat, a species first discovered outside Detroit by pollster Stanley Greenberg in 1984. Go further still and you find Nixon's Silent Majority -- the first modern attempt to peel working class voters away from the Democratic party on the basis of race. But Nixon strategists knew that there was no Silent Majority out there to be found; it was a political concept in search of a constituency -- something Nixon strategists such as Kevin Phillips were quite clear about at the time. The result has kept us in the long shadow of Nixon and Reagan.

Clinton, with her southern, conservative Democratic Leadership Council background knows this strategy well. By talking about "hardworking Americans, white Americans" she claimed simply to be saying what pollsters were already showing. But by invoking a relationship between hard work and race, she helps conjure up resentments that may be mobilized politically under the right conditions. Racial political identifications start with appeals first, and become settled assumptions afterwards. Journalists and scholars should be wary of falling into the trap of confusing political strategy for demographic realities when analyzing this election. As Oregon shows, white working class people -- just like anyone else -- have the capacity to vote their concerns, interests and beliefs in terms other than race. Indeed, if Obama seriously addresses the problems of economically marginalized people, he may help find a way out of the racial machinations of the modern right.

Comments

[Johnagain]

"As Oregon shows, people -- whether working or middle class, from whatever class or racial background -- have the capacity to vote their concerns, interests and beliefs in other terms besides race."

This is true. And it is a wonderful thing to behold when it happens. But more often than not, people will voted based on their visceral instincts. And we humans have some vile visceral instincts.

[heal57]

Nice article. I totally agree. The race issue is a non event for most folks under 50-55 years old, except for us enlightened ones. Obama does represent working class values; the good things we want for our kids and grandkids. Mrs.Clinton has always been polarizing. Divide the people and make politicians stronger.


Independent for obama '08

[GuyPaul]

Because Oregon favored Obama, they "have the capacity to vote their concerns" and because Kentucky supported Clinton, they're racist? I was raised in Oregon and if there's a "type" at all contained in one state's boundaries, I suggest you look long and hard at Oregon's history of idealism over realism. It isn't called the "Granola State" for nothing. What about the concept that the Oregon voter would rather have someone who says all the things they want to hear as opposed to someone who has the political clout and savvy to actually accomplish something in Washington?

Every blog entry on the Huffington Post that I've read about the Democrats in 2008 has been heavily biased toward Obama and ridiculously paranoid about Hillary. It doesn't seem to matter what the outcome is of any primary .... somehow you find a way to infer (or sometimes just come right out and declare) that anyone who votes for Hillary is a racist and ignorant, and anyone who chooses Obama is morally superior and has a better education.

As regards equating a formal education with intelligence: Formal education in the United States is more indicative of economic class than anything else. Why does this wealthy class of American support Obama? That might be worth looking at in your next editorial.

[mrBlue1]

Actually it is Hillary and John McCain whose campaigns are supported by wealthy Americans, GuyPaul. They're called lobbyists, corporate backers and special interests. Obama's campaign has been supported by millions of ordinary working voters, who desperate for change, have donated small amounts regularly Being educated does not mean being rich. Many educated people work as public servants, health care professionals, activists, teachers, etc. Hillary and Bill and John McFlipflop are filthy rich and have no clue what it is like to struggle. Obama is the son of a single mom whose parents helped her raise him in a middle class setting. There is no excuse for the misinformation and just plain guessing people are doing about Barack. Read his books: "Dreams from My Father" and "The Audacity Of Hope" instead of just dreaming up theories not based in fact.

[knighthowl]

Funny thing. I live in California and thought that I had heard Granola State applied to this state. So I Googled it. Guess what? No mention of Oregon, many hits for California.

Is it possible you are not from Oregon at all? Just a mad Hillaryite?

I grew up in Indiana - the truth. Do you think there are not many, many racists in Indiana and Kentucky? If you think there are not, you have never been there. So, yes, it is rational to conclude that Hillary is getting the racist votes. Obviously, not everyone who votes for her is racist, but I think it is indisputable that many are. And I think that she has slyly courted that vote which I find disgusting.

[JMBrodie]

No, not every Clinton voter is racist -- just the ones who say they are...