Our Neighbors Are Smarter Than We Thought

The encouraging lesson from Obama's huge win in North Carolina and near-win in Indiana is that perhaps the fear card no longer trumps all others. The Bush presidencies were fueled by what Jonathan Alter of Newsweek recently called, "underinformed voters," explicitly voting against their own economic interests, often for reasons that were patently wrong. Remember during the last election, in survey after survey, a majority of Bush voters thought that Iraqis were responsible for 9/11.

Hillary's fuel tax scam was aimed squarely at those voters and along with the wall-to-wall Wright coverage it was assumed that they would be tricked and scared into flocking to her.

In some respects Obama's strong showing shouldn't have come as much of a surprise as it did. In poll after poll a majority of Americans said they realized that the fuel tax holiday was a political ploy and a majority also said that they personally were not overly swayed by Rev. Wright's rantings.

Interestingly, however, a majority of Americans also said that although it wouldn't sway them they thought that the Wright controversy would effect their neighbors.

It seems that all of us, not just the NPR-listening latte-swillers, think that the rest of Americans are easily duped. It seems that for now at least, in this election, all of us are paying enough attention to the issues to make an informed decision.

Hillary wasn't the only one who underestimated the hard-working Americans in the middle.

Trey Ellis is the author of "Bedtime Stories: Adventures in the Land of Single-Fatherhood."

Comments

[bgregs]

You're wrong, Mr Ellis. Fear is still the main part of this election. However, it's a fear of more of bush. It's a fear that Hillary will change her name to bush, and a fear that John McBush can get elected. Thus the people are flocking to the candidate who ISN'T talking about the same things. Whether he means them or not is something for future historians to talk about. I, for one, don't CARE what the historians talk about, because I AM terrified that we will have a third term of bush, and thus, I am voting for Obama. However, if he wins, in four years I will actually do my research and ensure that he's still the best choice!

[TRUE BLUE AMERICAN]

As someone who talks to everyone about politics, I couldn't agree more with your assumption that many Americans are uninformed. The problem for me is it seems that the dems are the worst offenders of this practice.Many people I talk to can't tell me anything on the issues, they usally come up with "we need change, a uniter" or "Bush is a liar". No specifics , no examples about how we are going to change. The problem lies with the fact that liberals and conservatives have a different view on "values" and on what the role our government should play in our lives. No matter who is president, the other half is going to be mad. There is little chance of uniting the two sides. Decades ago the majority thought guns in the hands of citizens was a good thing. Abortion was a horrible way to cover a mistake.People sneaking into our country was something to look down upon. People were accountable for their mistakes,laziness and actions. Criminals were viewed as bad, not victims. Charity was the way to help the poor, not the govt. penalizing the ones who worked hard.Competition was celebrated. God was important. The Ten Commandments were thought to be good and displayed proudly. I could go on and on, the point being we are in a struggle and I'm sticking to the way we used to do it. The way that made us the greatest country in the shortest time.God Bless everyone.

[ksyellowdog]

you're moniker should be true red american. espousing republican talking points don't get much here. kinda like being a post turtle.

[aftershock]

Yes let's go back to segregation, or better yet slavery, or how bout we force women to get consent from a man (whether father or spouse) in to order to have even a physical. Let's also go back to throwing gay people in jail, forcing those of other religions to pray to a God they don't believe in, and having abortions performed in non-sanitary conditions that left many women with not only physical but emotional scars. Let's go back to beating our kids in school too. Decades ago the majority thought all of these things were perfectly acceptable, so sure, let's go right on back to that...

[TRUE BLUE AMERICAN]

Typical liberal, can't even fathom the point.Your anger gives you away. Sorry your life was or is bad..

[edtastic]

Conservative ideals are not only unrealistic but out of date. We cannot put the genie back into the bottle nor do we want too. People have discovered they can live freer without DYING or enduring some life altering catastrophe. Thus people would rather be free to be conservative in there ideals or not. The ten commandments are 2000 years old and we might have evolved as a culture beyond that. More importantly we have increased our respect for other systems of belief. When we began this country it was full of racist bigots and haters of all kinds. We were hostile to each other with that hostility spilling over into civil war. Conservative ideals have been fading for a reason. Conservative ideals dont allow for PROGRESS. Progress is what humans must make to make our lives better. Simply praying to god does not make the complexities of life go away. Not burning the flag and puting up the ten commandments wont solve our problems either. We dont need more God, Patriotism, Self Reliance. We need effective goverment that leads the people to a better quality of life. Such are the goals of CIVILIZATION. Not simply to maintain an old status quo in the name of TRADITION.

[TRUE BLUE AMERICAN]

I must disagree, it's not the governments job to make sure each of us has a better quality of life.Which is code for entitlements or socialism.Each of us must work hard. The simple fact that you believe we need less God, patriotism and self reliance , all in the name of progress, really shows how dangerous liberalism is.The cherry on top is your belief that we have evolved passed Gods commandments.