Working Class Whites - why can't McCain seal the deal??

[Coexist]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/03/AR2008080301969.html

Obama's advantage is attributable largely to overwhelming support from two traditional Democratic constituencies: African Americans and Hispanics. But even among white workers -- a group of voters that has been targeted by both parties as a key to victory in November -- Obama leads McCain by 10 percentage points, 47 percent to 37 percent, and has the advantage as the more empathetic candidate.

......

The new poll included interviews with 1,350 randomly selected workers 18 to 64 years old who put in at least 30 hours a week but earned $27,000 or less last year. As a group, they are somewhat less likely to be Republicans than all adults under age 65 and are also less likely to be registered to vote. As many call themselves conservatives as liberal, and nearly four in 10 said their views on most political matters are "moderate."

The group, which accounts for nearly a quarter of U.S. adults, gives the Democrat the nod both as the more empathetic candidate and as the one who more closely shares their values. And while many express no opinion about who would do more to improve the economy or health care -- or the voters' finances -- Obama has the clear edge among those who picked a favorite on these core issues.

Obama's standing with the white workers runs counter to an impression, dating from the primary season, that he struggles to attract support from that group

[babylonsister]

1. Kind of puts the lie to all these polls. If whites, blacks, and hispanics

are voting for Obama in droves, who's voting for McCrabby? :shrug:

[FrenchieCat]

12. the media?

[Coexist]

15. !!!

[bunkerbuster1]

2. Oh, if only the WaPo had the balls to use your subject header as a headline!

We'd all have ponies. Life would be good.

[Bluzmann57]

3. Why can't McCain seal the deal?

Because we working class whites aren't quite as stupid as many make us out to be. In my case, I do make a bit more than the figure given in the article, but it's still "working class white" I guess. And there is still belt tightening going on.

[AngryAmish]

4. McCain delights in eating the flesh of children

he is literally a ghoul.

[tedoll78]

5. I'd love to see such a headline.

The only way I can see this kind of thing asked CNN or in a newspaper.. is if they're sharing viewer mail. The anchors or commentators themselves would never, ever dream of turning this coin around on The Original Political Celebrity. :P

[opihimoimoi]

6. If anything, peeps can count...they are counting less monies right now. McGOP/Cain getting the BLAME

[KittyWampus]

7. Oh, this is a kick in McCain's nuts if Obama's team can catapult it properly.

[paparush]

8. Because he's not TOTALLY ACCETPED JESUS CHRIST???

Matt Taibi has a great article in Rolling Stone about McPain's relationship to the religious right. Great stuff.

[glowing]

9. I've been talking to a lot of people from all over. They are really noticing

the media lies and bias. AND the more people sitting at home not working, the more time they have to pay attention.. and the more they see it. People are saying that the lies by media are becoming so obvious.. They are doing a horrible job and they better start listening.. because their little conglomerates will be breaking up hopefully soon.

[bluestateguy]

10. "Good Question. Campbell, what do you thing? How about you Andrea?"

"And how about you Wolf?"

[Coexist]

11. "Well, being the priveleged son of an Admiral and dumping your crippled wife

when she gained weight during recovery for a Paris Hilton-type heiress who bought him a seat in Congress, makes it hard for Joe sixpack to relate to him, don't you agree?"

[blondeatlast]

13. Obama can and here's how, courtesy of the WSJ: Pension funds being raided to pay exec perks...

At a time when scores of companies are freezing pensions for their workers, some are quietly converting their pension plans into resources to finance their executives' retirement benefits and pay.

In recent years, companies from Intel Corp. to CenturyTel Inc. collectively have moved hundreds of millions of dollars of obligations for executive benefits into rank-and-file pension plans. This lets companies capture tax breaks intended for pensions of regular workers and use them to pay for executives' supplemental benefits and compensation.


The practice has drawn scant notice. A close examination by The Wall Street Journal shows how it works and reveals that the maneuver, besides being a dubious use of tax law, risks harming regular workers. It can drain assets from pension plans and make them more likely to fail. Now, with the current bear market in stocks weakening many pension plans, this practice could put more in jeopardy.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121761989739205497.html?mod=hpp_us_pageone

[Coexist]

14. is this already posted here at du?

I'd like to rec it if it is.

[TheDonkey]

16. LOL