Middle Class McCain Supporters: Stupid or Ignorant?

In response to my last post, I got a great email from my uncle reporting that he had been making phone calls for Obama all week end and working to help assure that Pennsylvania goes for Obama.

He reported to me some wisdom from my grandfather, a life-long union man, about the difference between people being ignorant and people being stupid. As hard as it is, I'm willing to go along with the idea that middle class white workers who vote for McCain/Bush policies are more ignorant than stupid. At this late date, however, that's really hard for me to believe...and besides neither stupid nor ignorant requires viciousness, lying, smearing, sarcasm or nastiness, all of which we have seen exploding at rallies where Palin and McCain continue to simply lie about their proposed policies, particularly tax policies, to people who really do care about their future.

I suggested to my uncle a post based on his words about my grandfather. Here's what he said:

Great idea Karen. I hope that when the grandsons and greatgrandsons... of slave owners learn not only how smart and thoughtful that President Obama is, but how he works to bring us together, the ghost of racism will begin to fade like the Halloween candy we hand out before All Saints Day.

He had recalled to me my grandfather's ideas in this passage:

"I believe that middle class white workers were tricked by Republicans
telling them that blacks were collecting welfare because they did not
want to work--and this led to voters in Southern states switching to
vote against their own interests. I also believe (as my father, your
grandfather, said) that there is a difference between being stupid and
ignorant. The fact that many white Southern voters will vote for Obama
is that they now realize that they were tricked. Making the rich richer
doesn't trickle down to feed their family, or help their children go
to college. White middle class and poorer white guys were not stupid--
just ignorant of the true meaning of Republican policy. After 8 years
of W they (at least many of them) now know."

Let's hope he's right. The world can't afford the American middle class to remain ignorant, and we certainly can't afford any more years of hateful, lying nasty politics. I am really interested if anyone knows any sites on the web where Democratic voters routinely spew the kind of hateful disgusting smearing statements I found on one site this morning that was filled with anti-Obama (including Michelle..who was referred to as "Michelle Hussein Obama"...as well as numerous other unprintable names) comments.

I'm still hoping that moderate Republicans will demand their party back and stand up for something good..including voting for Obama tomorrow!

Comments

[Karen4You]

HI. Thanks for your comment.. I don't think my uncle was talking about the abolitionist period...or anything farther back than the last 20 years. I appreciate hearing more about the history of party alignments in the south.

[mike42nola]

I think that you have your history all screwed up and misplaced. The abolitionists were mostly white, northern Republicans. The party of segregation in the South was the Democratic party and that party became the sole party of the whites after the civil war.
The south didn't turn to the Republican party until President Reagan consolidated the country.

[TrooAmerican]

1 major reason middle class whites are supporting McCain is racism.

These are not the Openly proud racists. It's the most susceptible to hatemail & fraud doing character as-sas-sination. Minor racism, but also a self superiority complex because they are doing .."ok".. while working hard, & the GOP uses that to fuel anger by saying "libs just want to take their money & give it to the "blacks that are lazy & want to sit around & not work". They WANT to believe it. Because it hides their moderate racism & self identifying with the superior group over the lesser group.
Thats why they literally look in the face of absolute idiocy & beleive it. Facts & common sense notwithstanding.

Every group wants to identify as the best. From Schools, to teams - states - nations - race - gender - neighborhoods - religions to sexual preference, etc. "Our such n such is better than yours, we win"

I have spoken to Numerous white middle & upper middle class income earners that overwhelmingly dislike how the country is going, the mistakes made by whos been running it & identify themselves with the republican party. The GOP calls itself "patriotic, hard working, pro-american, tough, respected etc."
They'll believe the ridiculous republican lies then cite examples like ludicrous GOP email propaganda sent to make whites angry & hatefilled against minorties... such as the fraud emails sent around putting down the victims of Katrina/Rita. Or the emails sent about libs to prove how