The contemporary Democratic Party is based on the premise that many people, perhaps even the majority, are unable to be self-responsible and need the government to regulate their lives. They think they are smart enough to win the votes of these stupid people through a combination of charisma, credentials and give-away programs. They are “surprised” when the stupid people don’t vote the way they’re supposed to.
The Republican Party has been based, since its founding, on the premise that almost all people are capable of being self-responsible and what the government needs to do is protect them from cheats and criminals, and to adjudicate differences that arise between peaceful, law-abiding persons as happens from time to time. It doesn’t deny that there are some who aren’t capable of being self-responsible, and has not been committed to any particular way to care for them, whether through family, church and private charity or government, but only that we do have to care for them.
Republicans are not at all surprised that many people favor a vibrant, free-market economy over socialism even though they are below the median income, as (1) in a dynamic analysis, they will do better in a vibrant economy than they would getting their share of a reduced national income under socialism and (2) the accept the moral principles of a free society, such as are expressed in the Ten Commandments. Reason number 2 may, in reality, simply be a codification of reason number 1. The liberal elitist from U. of Wisconsin may not be smart enough to understand this.