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UPDATE -- Apparently, there is some confusion over the title. The title, while 'snarkish' is a response to my absolute irritation at the "Obama fails to win over White Working Class Voters" theme that has been going on. Whether or not that was an issue, THAT was not THE issue at hand in Tuesday's election.
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I have to admit that I awoke today to some surprise at the results in West Virginia.
I had only 'one ear to the ground' so to speak leading up to the contest and heard that it would be a blowout, but I have to admit that I didn't think it would be as bad as it ended up being.
Anyone trying to spin this as good news for Barack Obama is REALLY trying -- I applaud their efforts, but, please, lets be realistic about this.
Having moved to Virginia a few years back, I found that my wife let me in on the 'local' target for debasing jokes and other humiliating ad hominen attacks -- namely, West Virginians.
Not living near the border of WV or having even lived in Virginia long enough, I never really thought that much about it and I honestly thought that it had to be just a local rivalry of sorts.
How bad could the WV result be for Obama, after all he carried Virginia by roughly 64 - 35% -- just how bad could it possibly be!!
Well -- I was certain to find out this morning wasn't I!!!! -- 67 - 26% for Clinton!! ... There is no way to say this -- THAT is a fucking blow out!
Then comes all the "explanations" of Obama's failure to connect with White Working Class voters -- OMG, I am gonna blow an artery if I continue to hear this! Guess what, I am white. And my family is assuredly 'working class' -- making in the sub 60% of median income for our state!
THE PREVIEW I SHOULD HAVE READ
As a subscriber to the Financial Times I like to consider myself reasonably well informed. Well, I was to find out that only works if You ACTUALLY read the paper (as opposed to picking it up via osmosis I guess!)
In Monday's edition, Clive Ward reported on Core Democrats question Obama's love of country, and I found out that if I HAD read this on Monday, I wouldn't have been so surprised today.
Like most people in Mingo County, West Virginia, Leonard Simpson is a lifelong Democrat. But given a choice between Barack Obama and John McCain in November, the 67-year-old retired coalminer would vote Republican.
"I heard that Obama is a Muslim and his wife's an atheist," said Mr Simpson,
Ok, I guess this isn't too surprising. This has been going around for awhile, and there are bound to be outliers that still are believing this.
"If he is the nominee, the Democrats have no chance of winning West Virginia," said Missy Endicott, a 40- year-old school administrator. "He doesn't understand ordinary Americans."
Now this is getting into my "generation" -- How is this even possible that somehow, Barack Obama can be portrayed as not understanding the plight of ordinary Americans -- He talks about this all the time! And how is it even possible that the Clintons could be seen as anything but Washington insiders that ARE out of touch?
Ms Endicott was among roughly 500 people who crammed into the Williamson Fire Department building on Friday to attend a rally by Bill Clinton, the former president. He told them his wife represented "people like you, in places like this", and urged voters to turn out in record numbers tomorrow to send a message to the "higher-type people" who were trying to force her out of the race.
Well, I guess that is where that message is coming from. I have to admit that my distaste for Bill Clinton even more than Hillary Clinton grows by the day!
But, is this really a widespread sentiment!? It can't be:
None of the 22 Democrats interviewed by the Financial Times at the Clinton rally would commit themselves to voting for Mr Obama if he became the nominee, and half said they definitely would not.
Ok, well ... maybe this just represents the internecine battle going on right now!?
Most people questioned said they mistrusted Mr Obama because of doubts about his patriotism and "values" ... Several people said they believed he was a Muslim - ... - despite the contradiction with his 20-year membership of Mr Wright's church in Chicago. Others mentioned his refusal to wear a Stars and Stripes badge ...
Now this is not looking so good. But I have to tell You, that what finished it off for me is the way Ward finished off his report:
Josh Fry, a 24-year-old ambulance driver from Williamson, insisted he was not racist but said he would feel more comfortable with Mr McCain, the 71-year-old Vietnam war hero, in the White House. "I want someone who is a full-blooded American as president," he said.
How A Millenial, I would assume educated (otherwise I surely don't want to ever need an ambulance in WV) can make such a statement as a Democrat is truly stunning.
I am sorry. I am sorry that I hadn't read this BEFORE the election. I am sorry, but, these aren't JUST 'low information voters', and there is no way to simply lump them in as "White Working Class". These voters are racists. And I have to admit, that Barack Obama is indeed failing to 'connect' with the Racist voting bloc -- that is something that we are just going to have to accept I guess!