how is it mathematically possible for obama to have lost

[AlanCranston]

the white working class vote and by 18 points? When I think of the white working class, I think of congressional districts like Pennsylvania 14, Ohio 13, Michigan 15, Indiana 1 and 2, Illinois 3, Minnesota 8, Wisconsin 4, Iowa 1 and 2 etc. All those congressional districts I listed were ones Obama won.

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. You've listed districts in just 8 states

It's not exactly a snapshot of the country, is it? You're looking at midwestern districts only.

[bluerum]

2. I would not call PA or Ohio midwest.

[sufrommich]

3. What would you call them? nt

[PCIntern]

5. If PA's not "East", then what is it?

There's a 50 miles to the Atlantic Ocean...

[JVS]

7. PA is rustbelt with an plus an Atlantic coastal city with suburbs.

[sufrommich]

8. PA may not consider themselves midwesterners, but Ohio

sure is.

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. 300 miles for the PA 14th District - Pittsburgh

If we were talking about all of PA, or not with all of the rest of the districts being those just to the west of Pittsburgh, then 'midwest' might not be an appropriate adjective. But if you just gave people those districts on a map without the state lines drawn on them, and asked for a geographical adjective for them all, I think 'midwestern' would be a typical choice.

[mod mom]

4. Except for Cincinnati, Ohio is definitely midwest.

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. Ohio is, officially (ie Census division); Pennsylvania 14th is right next door (in Pittsburgh)

http://www.census.gov/geo/www/us_regdiv.pdf

It's certainly just one area of the country, and thus not a representative slice of 'white working class American'.

[JVS]

6. What makes you think PA 14 is particularly white?

[kas125]

16. I live in Indiana 1 and it's not particularly white, either. n/t

[grahamhgreen]

10. Falure to tax the rich, failure to get medicare for all, falure to end wars, failure to stop

outsourcing jobs.

[AndyTiedye]

13. In Other Words, the Republican Policy of Obstructing and Filibustering is Working

All the Repigs have to do is say "NO" and they win. Everybody will blame Obama, including you.

[Ship of Fools]

15. THANK you.

[grahamhgreen]

17. That is completely untrue. If they did nothing, the tax cuts would have expired, and

we would not be having this BS discussion about cutting social services to pay for the deficit.

If they were really on our side, they would say we need to cut the wars to pay for the deficit, at minimum.

[AndyTiedye]

18. EVERYBODY'S Taxes Would Have Gone Up, and Unemployment Would Have Expired

You are forgetting about those.

[AndyTiedye]

12. By Losing Places Like Georgia by 200% or Something

[Kaleva]

14. Consider that Bush won the white vote in states like Illinois and California.

States that are considered safe, blue states.