GOP Makes Big Gains among White Voters (Especially among the Young and Poor)

[phantom power]

As the country enters into the 2012 presidential election cycle, the electorate’s partisan affiliations have shifted significantly since Barack Obama won office nearly three years ago. In particular, the Democrats hold a much narrower edge than they did in 2008, particularly when the partisan leanings of independents are taken into account.

Notably, the GOP gains have occurred only among white voters; a 2-point Republican edge among whites in 2008 (46% to 44%) has widened to a 13-point lead today (52% to 39%). In sharp contrast, the partisan attachments of black and Hispanic voters have remained consistently Democratic.

While Republican gains in leaned party identification span nearly all subgroups of whites, they are particularly pronounced among the young and poor. A seven-point Democratic advantage among whites under age 30 three years ago has turned into an 11-point GOP advantage today. And a 15-point Democratic advantage among whites earning less than $30,000 annually has swung to a slim four-point Republican edge today.

http://people-press.org/2011/07/22/gop-makes-big-gains-among-white-voters/

[ananda]

1. Amazing that...

... any poor person would even consider voting Reep.

[phantom power]

2. I think one point of the OP is...

that the Dems need to stop being amazed by this, and understand why it's happening, and what to do about it.

[ladjf]

3. Why is it happening?

[socialist_n_TN]

6. Because the young and poor voted for change in '08

and wound up with the same old shit.

Now does that mean they should vote Republican? Of course not, but in our bourgeois electoral system we have ONLY two choices. When one disappoints, you try the other. When THEY disappoint you try the other. This is a phenomena that's happening world wide. The people keep "throwing the bums out" when nothing changes. And of course, nothing WILL change until the system is overthrown.

Edited to add a clarifying thought.

[treestar]

11. If they are really this dumb

They deserve what they get.

Anyone who is poor who votes Republican deserves what they get.

The young maybe can get a pass, but anyone old enough to vote should know what a Republican stands for.

[socialist_n_TN]

16. Why should they care who they vote for when

NOTHING CHANGES NO MATTER WHICH PARTY IS IN POWER? That's the problem with the "lesser of two evils" campaign strategy. Eventually they BOTH get so evil that the casual political follower (MOST of the population) can't tell the difference.

That's also why such a huge portion of the population doesn't bother to vote at all. I'm sure a large part is just general apathy, but at least and equally large part of it is they see no substantative difference between the two parties.

[treestar]

20. Nothing changed?

Or indeed, nothing?

Anyone who thinks in such stark black and white needs to quit voting. If nothing changes, then why vote for the Republicans either? They are less likely to change anything.

[socialist_n_TN]

21. They can't stop voting because voting is the only

thing that gives them even the ILLUSION of any sort of control over these major events that are (negatively) affecting their lives. So they vacillate between one party and the other each election cyctle.

[fivepennies]

25. And that's all it is

an illusion. But how can you expect kids to get that when 90% of their parents don't?

The whole election system is as rigged as the economic system and has been for some time now. NO one gets into the white house, or any other position of authority, without first being vetted, co-opted, compromised and puppetized by the powers behind the throne. They wanted Obama in there at this time to embarrass amid make an example, not only of a dem, but a black dem, just in time for the planned implosion. Or are we to believe the behind the throne guys didn't see any of this coming and the timing was all just the fickle finger of fate?

Sorry, but we aren't going to vote ourselves out of this jam. We need a new plan stan.

[Blecht]

28. Romney with a Dem House and Repub Senate

Oh, boy. Something to look forward to.

[FarLeftFist]

57. YOU MIGHT BE A REDNECK IF...

YOU MIGHT BE A REDNECK IF... you vote against your self-interest to reward an empty pandering to your religious beliefs

[A Simple Game]

53. You know it.

The direction is the same with either party. The only difference is in the rate of acceleration.

Change! Yes from an R to a D, very little else.

Vote your conscience, not your party.

[woo me with science]

33. It is exactly this attitude that will lose votes

and deserve to lose votes.

[lumberjack_jeff]

41. Do the poor who voted for Obama "deserve what they get"? n/t

[indurancevile]

48. they voted for change & got continuing unemployment,

[sudopod]

55. how about

fuck you

[Enrique]

7. because of the economy

the poor are the hardest hit.

[phantom power]

8. I think the short answer to that is...

In times of crisis, you can't win just by "being the not-insane party." Or the "less-conservative party."

If you read the entire OP thru the link he's got a longer version that I, for one, agree with.

[ananda]

4. OK, try this.

It's very probable that polls like these are put out there to game the vote,
for the time when an election will be stolen.

I don't think the Reeps have nearly that much REAL support.

[Sal Minella]

14. Same here. Some poor and uneducated people can be

pretty stupid (especially when Faux is on every TV every place they go).

But not that many poor and uneducated are that stupid, imo -- we're being lied to by the pollsters as a set-up.

[Recursion]

29. +1000

We've had our heads in the sand for nearly 20 years about this...

[Rex]

5. Racism?

[originalpckelly]

9. Yeah, probably.

[socialshockwave]

12. Or maybe

They're tired of the policies of President Obama and felt betrayed by his actions?

Not -everything- involving white people is "Racism".

[Rex]

23. Ya maybe.

I would like an explanation as to why, are they switching gears to try something else? Boner needs Rush to tell him what to do.

[EFerrari]

32. Unemployment. n/t

[lumberjack_jeff]

42. Of course. They didn't realize he was black last time. n/t

[Johonny]

10. isn't the same * always

use subtle (and direct) racism, sexism, religious baiting to produce an us verse them mentality where the class thinks they are a part of the us. By the time you figure out (if you ever do) that you aren't part of the us and the rich don't want company, you're no longer young.

They've always done class warfare by divide and conquer of the poor. Get them to vote against each other out of fear. Same * always :(

[Fumesucker]

13. Perhaps this thread might offer some explanation...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1556975

[AlabamaLibrul]

27. +1

It's easier to shout "y'all all raciss" than look at the fundamental reasons why the GOP is able to steal poor white voters when the Dems aren't doing shit to help them either...

[sudopod]

56. Alabama should be the bluest state in the union, shouldn't it?

Fellow Bama resident here.

But the bad guys have the system so twisted up, between the lying media and the schools (dear Xenu, the schools) that it's impossible for the poor to get a chance to improve their lot in life, much less seek government representation, and God help you if you're black.

Why can't people understand that emanating some schizoid attitude of being condescending toward AND blaming the "poor" is not the answer

[brentspeak]

15. We can all thank Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and all the New Dems for making this so possible

They pi$$ed away everything that made the majority of working-class Americans align with the Democratic party.

[Name removed]

39. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

50. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

52. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[socialshockwave]

17. Ugh I'm still fuming

That the first thing people would suggest is "racism". Why??

As I said, maybe white voters(and poor ones, too!) are simply tired of Obama's policies. Racism probably doesn't have a lot to do with it. Yeah, there are a lot of racist white people- but the "ALL WHITE PEOPLE ARE EVIL AND ALWAYS ALL OPPRESS" message that's spread around DU gets really tiring.


It makes coming to DU uncomfortable to be bombarded with these messages. :/

[bvar22]

18. It took some serious hard work for the Democratic Party...

...to FUCK UP what was handed to them by the American People in 2008.

*The White House

*BIG Majority in The House

*Filibuster-Proof Majority in the Senate

*and MOST importantly,
a HUGE MANDATE for "CHANGE",
and an army standing in The Street!

*The Republican Party was DEAD!

...I MEAN, they had to work SERIOUSLY HARD to Fuck Up ALL that.
THAT took some clever planning.

[socialshockwave]

19. All that lays in the lap

Of the President.

People are turning away from the Democrats in DROVES. It's up to him to figure out why.

[NNN0LHI]

22. I am starting to figure out why Bush the Idiot once had a +90% approval rating

[DonCoquixote]

26. so going to the gop

will help, when they think O is not right wing enough? Sorry, you do not saw your right leg off because your left one is hurting.

[JoeyT]

30. It doesn't help, nor is it reasonable.

But it's what happens when people get "I don't give a shit about your problems, peasants. Now stop bothering us." from a party. They automatically go to the other party.

At least the Republicans are basically honest about being worthless shitheels that are servile to the upper 1%.

[Cherchez la Femme]

38. They're not going to see it as such

they're going to look for relief since they're not getting it from the current man-about-town.
If this isn't working, they'll look for something --anything-- else that MAY work

because they see first-hand that THIS ISN'T.

[Cherchez la Femme]

36. He knows how to turn it around!

Bipartisanship! More War! Trickle down! Charter schools! Busting unions!

In essence: Making more deals with the Republicans!

That's the ticket! That's the ace in the hole!
It's always worked before, right?

And when it hasn't, he's corrected more to the Right.

Gee, wish I could play 11-Dimension chess like that!

But if there's any trouble, it's with racists;
which these people obviously are if they don't like his policies.


Oh, but chill the fuck out. He's GOT this!

[DonCoquixote]

49. Not all with racists

but can you honestly say that the right has not used the race card as much as they can?

Just like they would have used the sex card on Hillary?

[white_wolf]

40. It isn't racism though that's for sure.

Most of these people likely voted for him in 08 and realized that he isn't helping them.

[DonCoquixote]

51. all that lays in the lap?

Not fox, not the rest of the MSM, not the churches which still shape the thoughts of the lower classes? Not our own infighting which made it easy for the Blue Dogs to take over?

Did you expect a messiah, or someone that could give us a chance to overturn a 30 year tide?

[kenny blankenship]

24. And History found them ready!

Like the Insurance Mafia facing the call for health care reform - they knew it was coming waaaay ahead of time, and had laid all their traps out in all the right places.

[Recursion]

31. The problem is, our caucus is split about whether it was underreach or overreach

That is, did we go too far too fast or not far enough not fast enough. I know what this board's answer is but I don't know that there is one answer for the whole country.

[bvar22]

54. Harry Truman has the answer you need.

"I've seen it happen time after time. When the Democratic candidate allows himself to be put on the defensive and starts apologizing for the New Deal and the Fair Deal, and says he really doesn't believe in them, he is sure to lose. The people don't want a phony Democrat. If it's a choice between a genuine Republican, and a Republican in Democratic clothing, the people will choose the genuine article, every time; that is, they will take a Republican before they will a phony Democrat, and I don't want any phony Democratic candidates in this campaign."
---President Harry Truman

QED:2010

[woo me with science]

34. No kidding. nt

[Lorien]

44. +1,000

the greatest act of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory ever performed by the Democrats.

[mmonk]

46. They never get it.

People were looking for change in policies, not names. But here they are going right again. The New Democrat movement has put this party into the graveyard.

[Cherchez la Femme]

35. In the past 3-4 years, Republicans suicided

so many times I've lost count.

In every damn case, the Democratic Party
--should I say The New Democratic Party--
stepped in and snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.


Seriously, they've got it down to an art now, and this latest is, IMO, their absolute best


So far :scared:

[Major Hogwash]

37. It doesn't surprise me in the least. Poor white voters are the most likely to blame a black man

for the problems they are having.
Obama is an easy target for the GOP to scapegoat.

Boehner blamed the talks breaking down on Friday on Obama -- and yet Boehner was the one that walked out of that meeting!!!!!!!!!

[Kablooie]

43. After Obama takes credit for cutting SS and medicare you can add the seniors to that list.

And if they are cut, he will be the one to get the blame, by Dems as well as Reps, no matter what the reality is.

[mfcorey1]

45. Another lying research poll. nt

[joeybee12]

47. Obama has certainly ruined every advantage the Dems had among demographics

and among issues...he needs to be a one-termer if the Democratic Party is to survive.