A remarkable 80 percent of observant whites with family incomes below $15,000 voted for a Republican presidential candidate who famously expressed no interest in appealing to 47 percent of the electorate including, presumably, those living below the poverty line.
The information in this article is culled from the Washington Post How race and religion have polarized American voters
I must first premise this by reminding everyone the article sited above was written by a “professor”. As we know, “professors” are much like “community organizers” are questionably white, doubtfully Christian, and Marxist. Also keep in mind this professor has published two books on the subject (books, reading and learning are in themselves liberal in nature – authors are not to be trusted), but Mr Abramowitz not being a Right-wing pundit on Fox News, a Talk Radio host or having Regnery Press as his publisher, don’t expect to see any of the books n any best seller lists.
For twenty years I have been beating my head against the wall in regards to these very three issues, resulting in little other than lumps and no notice. NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR IT. It’s much like telling America it;s boobs are too small and its ass is too big. It also flies in the face of what is called AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM. Though we are indeed exceptional in that we are the only nation without national health care, the last hold out still enjoying executions and of course having the highest disparity of wealth in the world. We are #1. That’s not popular to say either. That is America hatin’. Hey! Our ass is just fine…
So we learn three things from Professor Abramowitz. All things we already knew if we ever took any time to think about it.
1) Income does not matter to Republican voters.
In fact the GOP Presidential candidate can call out those white people at the bottom of the income structure moochers, losers and bottom feeders and it doesn’t matter at all. And the party platform can boldly go against most every economic issue of self interest they have which does not matter either. So what does matter?
2) Race is the primary cause of the political divide in America.
Having spend half my life as a Yankee from Wisconsin and half as a Southerner from Texas my biggest frustration is that those North of here have not a clue as to how prevalent and ingrained racism is Southern politics. Paula Deen and Phil Robertson are not aberrations, in fact they now enjoy being the most beloved and respected heroes in Southern Culture.
You can be sure Republicans looked at this graph after losing their second election to a black President Obama and wrung their hands for a few minutes. But they understand that the Tea Party is going to throw a tar baby into any efforts they could pretend to make to reconcile their race and ethnicity problems. They seem to be stuck there in perpetuity.
They also know they can no longer win the Presidency for the demography and electoral college, they have reconciled to use Congress and state Legislatures to get their way as long as they are able.
3) Religion is second only to race responsible for the American political divide.
Talking snakes and riding dinosaurs into the sunset. The connection between race, ethnicity and religious intolerance directed at gays and women’s reproduction rights cannot be missed. They go hand and hoof.
This touches upon the issue that gets my goat more than any other since Ronald Reagan became President 33 years ago today. The Republican Party has successfully turned Jesus Christ into a selfish, greedy, bigoted, intolerant a whole with a .44 magnum in hand. Nothing phises me off more than our politicians, our mainstream media and everyone who knows better, to let them get away with that without a whimper.
The Republicans believe they need not change for they have three things going for them.
1) Gerrymandering congressional districts – picking their voters rather than having the voters pick them.
2) Suppressing the minority vote across all Republican controlled Governor mansions and state houses.
3) Citizens United giving them the ability to pour literally billions of unmarked dollars into election propaganda.
In the short run this means they can hold the House and take control of the Senate. But a Democratic President with just TWO Supreme Court appointments of the 5 Republicans can change the face of America to its true colors. Within a decade. And for the first time I am seeing people put their money where they mouth is, betting on it. Here. Hear.