NATION: CLINTON’S SUPER TUESDAY WORKING CLASS EDGE...

[laststeamtrain]

CLINTON’S SUPER TUESDAY WORKING CLASS EDGE...by Ari Melber

Barack Obama narrowly bested Hillary Clinton on Super Tuesday, but several primaries suggest a potentially crucial edge for her in the days ahead.

In a majority of Tuesday's primaries, Clinton beat Obama decisively among working class voters.

<snip>

Yet after months of campaign hype about race and gender, Super Tuesday revealed that another atavistic divide within Democratic primaries is still here. As columnist Ron Brownstein foreshadowed almost one year ago:

"Obama's early support is following a pattern familiar from the campaigns of other brainy liberals with cool, detached personas and messages of political reform, from Eugene McCarthy in 1968 to Gary Hart in 1984 to Bill Bradley in 2000. Like those predecessors, Obama is running strong with well-educated voters but demonstrating much less support among those without college degrees.... All of the candidates whose support fit that profile ultimately lost the nomination to rivals whose support was rooted in the blue-collar and minority communities where Clinton is strongest in early surveys."

Early polls have been wrong about most things in both parties this cycle. But voter turnout now shows that Clinton is holding onto poor and working class voters. And the Democratic nominee needs their support to win back the White House.

<more>

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters?bid=45&pid=281422

[AX10]

1. kick

[CompSciStudent]

2. kick here to n/t

[AJH032]

4. cout << "kick!";

"\nnt";

[AJH032]

3. I hope it translates into future victories for her

n/t

[AGirl]

5. when you are poor, you have more real issues to worry about other than hoping

[FrenchieCat]

6. Cause many are going off name recognition......

Many folks get up early, take their kids to school, go to work, sit in traffic, come home, eat dinner, and watch a couple of hours of TV. Some will read Newsweek, or maybe a local newspaper. Those with computers might read a bit of Yahoo news. They'll watch CNN or NBC the day of the elections.

I doubt that many are going on the internet to read Obama's position papers.

With Hillary, they don't have to. They simply remember that her husband was in office for 8 years.

She has a built in advantage that has little to do with "how" she is actually campaigning, and even less to do with her own policy papers.

They hear that her opponent is a nice Black gentlemen who appear to transcend racial lines (until the Hillary campaign made sure that this wasn't gonna be a point), but they just aren't sure about him....because they don't have the time to invest in getting to know him.

Which is why the groups that are attracted to Obama are. The more upwardly mobile study the issues more, read more varied internet sources, and actually listen to some of the debates. They understand who was for the war and who wasn't. The youth simply don't see color in the same way that their parents did. They probably have friends of color, like the multiracial aspect of culture, and simply don't see what the big deal is all about. They understand racism, but don't consider themselves to be so, and do not believe there is a true rational for being so (which there isn't). They don't remember Bill Clinton's presidency except for the fact that it was mar with scandal....while they were growing up. They listen to what each candidate has to say without preconceived notions. The Black people keep it real. Of course, they are no prejudice towards their own.

I'm not sure why it's so hard to figure out.

[laststeamtrain]

7. Q: How do you learn to spot a phony? A: Practice, practice, practice. n/t

[joshcryer]

8. If you read his position papers you'll find little substance.

And what substance you do find is always a watered down copy of Hillary or Edwards' ideas.

[FrenchieCat]

9. Been there, done that, and I disagree with your findings.

[TacticalPeek]

10. Kick.

:kick: