I've never understood why so many working class white men and women vote republican.

[Carolina]

49. Racism

When LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act, he noted that the Democratic Party would henceforth lose the south. Former Dixiecrat (Dems) fled to the Republican Party which has used the southern strategy of covertly painting Democrats as the party against traditional values, against states rights, against good ole hard working white people... ever since.

Nixon used it and of course recall that Reagan's 1st post convention stop was Philadelphia, Mississippi which was famous for the slaying of 3 civil rights workers in 1964. Today the rat bastards are overt in their hatred and depict Dems as favoring welfare queens (a not so subtle reference to black women) over hard working whites.

In short, it's the well employed MO of divide and conquer, of demonization of one group to get others (who are no better off) in a lather... and it works because of 1 part human nature, 1 part a compliant and bought media, 1 part outright theft/legal manipulation (i.e., 2000 selection, 'proprietary voting machines, current efforts to disenfranchise blacks)