5 ms·

Wait, where did you read that poor people vote republican? I would've guessed otherwise.

xhrpost 13y ago
I don't know the statistics off hand but I remember reading that there were poor counties in the US in which Romney did not receive a single vote. So yea I'm not sure what context OP is referring to.
seiji 13y ago
The gist of it is the "religious right" got in bed with all the big money/exploit-the-world old white men. Then, messaging to voters becomes "I LOVE GOD!" instead of "All your money flows up to me." The "poor people vote republican" line of thought follows from people believing poorer/more-religious people vote only on religion above all else without regard for how much their representatives also want to exploit/maim/kill/cancer them. Recent evidence doesn't entirely support that conclusion, but it makes for a convenient story. What we end up with is the representatives not keeping up to date with reality. The reps stay "god god god religion god god jesus" while the world drifted more to "Uh, actually everything is pretty okay. Just stay out of our way." You can see that effect in southern "we hate all the gays" politicians while most real people don't want oppression/repression/persecution of them at all. But—to get your way—all you have to do is scaretivate (scare+motivate) a small vocal base into voting for your overton candidate. (See: 2004 GWB election where "kill the gays" was set as a constitutional amendment in a dozen states along with "Vote for GWB!" — Drag the crazies out to vote for their delusional pet social bigot issue while also catapulting your candidate pet back to victory (well, victory against a droning sedated sloth, but victory nonetheless))
bluedino 13y ago
Poor in urban areas = Democrat Poor in rural areas = Republican
- WalterSear 13y ago
  Poor in urban areas = Black Poor in rural areas = White
mercuryrising 13y ago
"Lower-income and less educated whites also have shifted substantially toward the Republican Party since 2008. The GOP has largely erased the wide lead Democrats had among white voters with family incomes less than $30,000." [0] Although the graphs on [1] tell a slightly different story. [0] - http://www.people-press.org/2012/08/23/a-closer-look-at-the-parties-in-2012/ http://www.people-press.org/2012/08/23/a-closer-look-at-the-... [1] - http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/09/26/161841771/how-income-divides-democrats-republicans-and-independents http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/09/26/161841771/how-inco...
- refurb 13y ago
  White people only make up 72% of the population. You can't dismiss the other 28%.
gadders 13y ago
I know! Why can't poor people just vote themselves more and more unaffordable benefits like in Greece. What could possibly go wrong?
jaynos 13y ago
Best selling books have been written about it. [1]http://www.amazon.com/Whats-Matter-Kansas-Conservatives-America/dp/080507774X http://www.amazon.com/Whats-Matter-Kansas-Conservatives-Amer...

I don't know the statistics off hand but I remember reading that there were poor counties in the US in which Romney did not receive a single vote. So yea I'm not sure what context OP is referring to.

seiji 13y ago

The gist of it is the "religious right" got in bed with all the big money/exploit-the-world old white men. Then, messaging to voters becomes "I LOVE GOD!" instead of "All your money flows up to me." The "poor people vote republican" line of thought follows from people believing poorer/more-religious people vote only on religion above all else without regard for how much their representatives also want to exploit/maim/kill/cancer them. Recent evidence doesn't entirely support that conclusion, but it makes for a convenient story. What we end up with is the representatives not keeping up to date with reality. The reps stay "god god god religion god god jesus" while the world drifted more to "Uh, actually everything is pretty okay. Just stay out of our way." You can see that effect in southern "we hate all the gays" politicians while most real people don't want oppression/repression/persecution of them at all. But—to get your way—all you have to do is scaretivate (scare+motivate) a small vocal base into voting for your overton candidate. (See: 2004 GWB election where "kill the gays" was set as a constitutional amendment in a dozen states along with "Vote for GWB!" — Drag the crazies out to vote for their delusional pet social bigot issue while also catapulting your candidate pet back to victory (well, victory against a droning sedated sloth, but victory nonetheless))

bluedino 13y ago

Poor in urban areas = Democrat Poor in rural areas = Republican

WalterSear 13y ago
Poor in urban areas = Black Poor in rural areas = White

mercuryrising 13y ago

"Lower-income and less educated whites also have shifted substantially toward the Republican Party since 2008. The GOP has largely erased the wide lead Democrats had among white voters with family incomes less than $30,000." [0] Although the graphs on [1] tell a slightly different story. [0] - http://www.people-press.org/2012/08/23/a-closer-look-at-the-parties-in-2012/ http://www.people-press.org/2012/08/23/a-closer-look-at-the-... [1] - http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/09/26/161841771/how-income-divides-democrats-republicans-and-independents http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/09/26/161841771/how-inco...

refurb 13y ago
White people only make up 72% of the population. You can't dismiss the other 28%.

gadders 13y ago

I know! Why can't poor people just vote themselves more and more unaffordable benefits like in Greece. What could possibly go wrong?

jaynos 13y ago

Best selling books have been written about it. [1]http://www.amazon.com/Whats-Matter-Kansas-Conservatives-America/dp/080507774X http://www.amazon.com/Whats-Matter-Kansas-Conservatives-Amer...