This is a thought piece based on Obama's statement about voters in Pennsylvania and Indiana. I am interested in how these voters might go from:
I am a rural, white, republican, christian voter and I support God, America, and guns, and I hate abortion, gays, and democrats.
to
Barack Obama is right. I am voting for these things because I don't trust politicians to fix my economic problems.
I think Obama opened up a dialog that these voters cannot ignore, that will force them to think about how they have been voting and why. See below for the thought progression that could lead from the former statement to the latter.
I am a rural white republican christian voter.
America is the best country in the world because it was founded on Christian principles, and God supports America over any other country on earth.
We had to invade Iraq because they want to take away our freedom, but Bush fucked it up because he is an incompetent fool.
My Dad lost his job in a steel/auto company a long time ago, and we have had to scrape by ever since.
The most I can hope for is assistant manager at a mall store, and maybe if I'm smart enough I'll get to be the manager someday. My younger sister is a waitress and can't find anything else that pays better.
My wife and I both work and we can barely pay our mortgage. I am worried about what will happen when our ARM resets. We might have to give up the house and become renters.
I can't stand Democrats; they support gays, gun control, and abortions, and they are soft on terrorists.
Obama said I support guns and hate gays and immigrants because I am bitter about not having a good job.
No, I support guns because that is my God-given right and I hate gays because they violate God's principles. I do hate immigrants because they are taking our jobs, and I am frustrated because I don't have any chance to get a better job.
Obama says we don't have any jobs because politicians promise to fix things but then pass NAFTA and send our jobs oversees. He says that politicians have made bankruptcy harder and foreclosures more likely.
Yeah, I know I can't trust politicans to fix our jobs; they never do. That's why I hate immigrants for taking the few jobs that are left.
Obama says I vote on guns, gays, and immigrants because I don't trust politicans to fix our jobs.
Yeah, I'm not going to get a better job and I might lose my house, and I can't trust any politician to help me with that. But I vote on guns, gays, and immigrants because I care about moral issues just as much.
I do care about moral issues more than anything else, so of course I vote that way.
Well, no, I probably do care about my job the most, but I know politicians won't help me with that, so I might as well vote for my morals. I guess that is what I have been doing.
Barack Obama is right.
What if a politican could really fix our jobs and make it better for me? Would John McCain really help me with my job situation and the problems with my ARM?
Probably not, but he would fight against gays and abortion and support my right to have a gun. I have to keep voting for that.
Yeah, but I do have my guns, and Republicans haven't done anything about abortion or gays anyway, and they messed up Iraq, so why should I keep on voting for them?
Really, why should I vote for them? What do I get for that?
Should I change how I vote?