Deer Hunting With Democrats

Much has been surmised about white working-class voters in this election. After the Democratic primaries, in which lower-income whites broke heavily for Hillary, the conventional wisdom in DC was that many of those folks would migrate to McCain. And, surely, some did. But Obama never gave up on them, campaigning over the summer in parts of the country that Democrats hadn't been seen in for decades -- a central part of his strategy from the start. And, so, he started making some gains with them.

But then something happened that even the smartest campaign couldn't predict -- the financial crisis flooded the election and unmoored conventional wisdom in both DC and those long-neglected parts of the country. An LA Times/Bloomberg poll released yesterday has Obama attracting 52% of white, working-class voters in Ohio. McCain has 38%. Why? Listen to the words of Theresa Riddle, a 48-year-old Republican from Springfield, OH, who took part in the poll: "Barack Obama understands Joe the Plumber better than John McCain... When John McCain talks about the economy, he says nothing."

In more steady economic times, perhaps cultural "wedge" issues -- the types that Palin is supposed to embody -- would weigh more heavily on these voters. Obviously, these are not such times, McCain is inarticulate about the economy, and the Republican brand is more tarnished than it has been in decades. Given these extraordinary circumstances, Democrats would be foolish to draw too many conclusions about how this year's trend with white working-class voters might affect future years.

After all, voters, who are becoming increasingly independent, may switch around from year to year. But story lines die hard. This became apparent to me after spending an afternoon with Joe Bageant, author of the brilliant book Deer Hunting With Jesus, who's dedicated the last few years of his life to writing about his friends and family members in white, working-class Virginia. One of his insights, which the following video opens with, is particularly relevant here: "There were a time when good Democrats were down there on the line getting their nose broken with labor when it was doing strikes and things back in another era... And they forgot about those people... At some point, the Democratic Party became the hobby of the Westchester Country Club."

Note to Democrats: Regardless of what happens on Election Day, you might, so to speak, have to get your noses broken on the line if you truly want to pull these people back into your camp.

Check out the interview:

Comments

[CanisLatrans]

In Idaho, ther eis indeed a sense that the Democratic Party was a "Westchester Country Club" sort of thing; a soiree of intellectuals who looked down their noses at the blue-collar working class as a bunch of uneducated buffoons. The ties to labor have evaporated, in perception at least, and out here in the West the white-knuckle death grip the Democratic Party has had on gun control was an instant turn-off to many white, working class & low-income voters.

If the Democratic Party can finally shake off its Boston Aristocrat trappings, it will re-gain ground in territory thought lost.

[sposton]

Joe Bageant rocks! It is too bad he's getting more news coverage in Europe and Australia than in this country. Deer Hunting With Jesus is potentially a seminal book if only enough Americans read it.

[HeevenSteven]

I read Bageant's book this past summer. I have so much in common with his experience. Going home for gatherings is always shocking. So many of the blue collar buddies I grew up with are such red-neck Republicans now. FOX news and talk radio inform them, and they don't know anything else. If you want to understand the working class voter, read this book!

[booksnmore4you]

I'm a hunter from a long line of hunters who rely on their hunting to supply meat in the freezer.

I have never even slightly worried about the Democratic Party in these regards.

[CaptainStormfield]

Thanks so much for posting this article. I have been a fan of Joe for quite a while. He is a genuinely nice guy as well as a writer of some wit and talent. Most of us have never heard of Ulster Scots, I had not and one side of my family are. If anyone in the Obama campaign is paying attention they will draft Joe as a resource.

[SOLERSO68]

I dont think that the financial crisis moved low income whites toward obama. low income people have to live in state of semi- permanent financial crisis anyway. In fact, Obama is the only candidate that has given low income voters any real consideration in a loooooooong time. he had to communicate this and he has. low income voters are not always low information voters, especially in our "new global economy". The other thing he had to communicate was that he isnt a "black" candidate.I dont mean that the way the republicans do, althought they have tried mightily to scare us with race baiting. Yes am a low income white man voter. Im voting for Barrak Because I believe hes talking to me too, when he talks about health care, jobs, and a new deal for the 21st century. Im very tired of being jerked around by republican hate,fear and division. If the Dems want "a lasting coalition for change" they will stop thinking in terms of blocks of interest groups, and tayloring little seaprate messages to each, while basically going about (big) business as usual. And dont forget us. Barrak has gotten a lot of us on board and i can truly say im "hopeful" for the future without bitter cynicism.I hope he means what he promising.