Why Does the (White) Lower Middle Class Vote Republican?

[applegrove]

Why Does the (White) Lower Middle Class Vote Republican?

by Leon Friedman at the Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leon-friedman/why-does-the-white-lower-_b_8442162.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

"SNIP.............


This paranoid style in American politics is still alive today. We have a questioner of Donald Trump telling him that we have to get rid of all the Muslims in the United States. Almost all of the Republican candidates for President seem to support the idea - similar to the platform of the Know-Nothing party -- that immigrants are the true source of evil in our society. They do not speak our language, take away our jobs, pollute our neighborhoods with their dirty ways, spread diseases, murder our children and rape our wives and daughters.

The Tea Party is the true successors of the Know Nothing Party. The origins of the name came when a correspondent on CNBC, Rick Santelli, complained about a government program to make payments to homeowners who could no longer make mortgage payments. He condemned the idea that the government would "subsidize the losers" and asked for a tea party to be formed to object to government social programs. So the "losers" the poor, the racial minorities, the immigrants, the 47% are the problem, not the owners and bosses who demand and receive the biggest cut of the pie and refuse to share their wealth with the middle class.

But all of this plays into Republican hands. Rather than accurately explain the true economic issues facing the middle class, they invent bogus tax plans that have no basis in reality -- shrinking the tax code to three pages and reducing taxes to everyone (mostly those on top) which will somehow trim down the national debt and bring untold benefits to everyone. When these benefits do not emerge, Republican leaders barrage the lower middle class with attacks on the bad people (immigrants, Muslims) who do not look or talk like them and threaten their lives and jobs. They play on the lower middle class' impulse to believe themselves better than some other group which becomes the basis for their own self-esteem. The Republicans insist that the presence of Latino immigrants and Muslims are the reasons for the lower class' dissatisfaction with their life. Such arguments divert the middle class from insisting on higher wages and better programs that will adversely affect the rich supporters of the Party.

The Democrats must counter this nonsense with concrete programs that would improve the lives of the lower middle class. Since family values count very much for this group, Democrats should emphasize how the social programs supported by them - health care, free college education - would improve the lives of their children. And they must counter the paranoia that is so much a part of the Republican program.


..............SNIP"

[phantom power]

1. The Southern Strategy - winning elections for the GOP for 40 years.

[applegrove]

3. And white people in the south wonder why they are not doing better.

[Fred Sanders]

2. "Believing themselves better than another group to create an artificial self-esteem" does seem to

explain a lot of tea folks and their politicians in once sentence.

[onehandle]

4. The stupidity of the gun for one reason. nt

[eridani]

5. "The Democrats must counter this nonsense with concrete programs that would improve--

--the lives of the lower middle class."

Medicare for All (deductibles shitcanned and drug price negotiation added)
$15/hour minimum wage as a base (needs to be much higher in some urban areas)
No fucking "trade deals"
Stop shipping what remains of our productive capacity abroad
Regulate the banks

[applegrove]

7. They mention that earlier in the article.

[HDSam]

8. My apologies

I just realized the reference was to the Teaparty, not the Know-nothing party.

[applegrove]

9. No problem. I skim too.

[Yavin4]

10. "The Democrats must counter this nonsense with concrete programs that would improve the lives"

That tactic won't work. Even Black people and Latinos get benefits, these same White voters won't support it, no matter how much it improves their lives.

[COLGATE4]

13. You're absolutely correct. These goobers would rather see

themselves receive nothing, so long as the blacks, Latinos, 'Muslins' and all others not exactly the same as themselves also receive nothing. But if you give them a chance to receive $80 if the 'objectionables' receive $20, you'll hear the howls of protest.

[Kath1]

11. I have a lot of relatives in that group.

They think they are losing what little they have to minorities and it drives them nuts. They think voting Republican is their salvation.

I have three cousins who are very hard workers and very nice and loving women for the most part. But they spend their evenings drinking beer, smoking cigarettes and listening to Mark Levin and Michael Savage. Then they wonder why their lives are tough and they blame others.

Tried to talk to them but it is no use.

[Blus4u]

12. LBJ's quote posted in 2013 says a lot

From DU's elleng:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023898616


Peace

[BlueJazz]

14. Maybe we DUers should start doing what the Repigs do. Actually, we'll do it much better and make ...

...more money.
Hell, I figure if the dumb fucks are going to vote against their best interests year after year, let us get together, come up with some great scams and take everything that the stupid bastards can earn, take all that they own and as we're pulling out of the driveway with all the goodies, look um right in the eye and say: "Ya'll come back now, ya' here"

[Snarkoleptic]

15. This Alexandra Pelosi video provides a snapshot/sneak peek into their mindset...

[Vinca]

16. OMG . . . I don't think there is 6 brain cells among them.

You can interpret that so many ways. One is that their so-called religious beliefs are based in hatred. It reinforces my belief that this country should really be 2 countries and we'll have to built a huuuuuuuuuuuuuge wall to keep them out when they realize all the things Democrats have done for them.