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Crossing Over: As the U.S. Economy Sputters, Working-Class Women Shift to Obama
Wall Street Journal ^ | October 11, 2008 | Jonathan Kaufman

Posted on 10/11/2008 8:04:47 AM PDT by reaganaut1

KOKOMO, Ind. -- Last month, in this once-sturdy auto town of 60,000, two white women sounded off at a union hall when talk turned to politics.

"I feel like a white female or a white male has fewer opportunities than the black man or the black woman because of all the special treatment and special programs they have gotten," said Marla Hightower. "If Obama is elected, what's going to happen?"

"That is just stupid," Ginny McMillin, the head of her local, shot back. "People are saying 'we don't want a black man.' Shame on America for thinking that!"

The exchange was emblematic of the sharp divide among white, working-class female voters -- a key voting bloc that has largely rejected Barack Obama as a presidential candidate. But four weeks and a $700 billion financial-bailout package later, some attitudes are shifting. Sen. Obama is now picking up support from some of the very women who until recently disdained him. As U.S. economic concerns intensify, ranks of blue-collar females are reconsidering everything from Sen. Obama's policies to their comfort level with his race.

Working-class women, generally defined as those in blue-collar and service jobs earning less than $50,000 a year -- comprise almost a quarter of American voters. Sen. Obama trailed Sen. John McCain by 12 points among these women just two weeks ago, but has since closed the gap. According to a Wall Street Journal poll conducted the weekend of Oct. 4, the two senators are now running even, with 45% of such voters giving each candidate the nod. The reversal is one of the main reasons Sen. Obama is gaining ground in swing states like Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Indiana -- all of which have large rural and blue-collar populations.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections; US: Indiana
KEYWORDS: bluecollarvote; electionpresident; in2008; itstheeconomystupid; obama; womensvote
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McCain needs to convince voters he will deal better with the economy. Talking about Ayers and ACORN is necessary but not sufficient.
1 posted on 10/11/2008 8:04:48 AM PDT by reaganaut1
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To: reaganaut1

true. He must present HIS plan, criticize the redistribution plan of his opponent, and also tear down the false Messiah image with fact about his unusual past.


2 posted on 10/11/2008 8:09:35 AM PDT by ilgipper
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To: reaganaut1

McCain - needs to expose BO for what he is ENOUGH of this crap about how great he is from McLame! I fully expect McLame to enforce BO policies of taking away our guns, eliminating free speech and silencing conservatives. I sometimes wonder if McLame is working for the rats - scarry how poorly he is running his campaign.

Please freepers be prepared - you may not need it but we still have the 2nd amendment - after this election you may never have the right to defend yourself or your freedom. A liberal congress and a Marxist president will destroy the constitution. Hope for the best and pray but definitely plan for the worst.


3 posted on 10/11/2008 8:10:05 AM PDT by sasafras (Bush Legacy = 20+years of leftist Presidents and a Democrat Congress - way to go Bushbots!!)
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To: reaganaut1

Hogwash! Not me and not any of my working class female friends. Ok, one is for Hussein but then she’s more than a bit odd.


4 posted on 10/11/2008 8:10:27 AM PDT by itsthejourney (1 of every 10 people you pass in the mall is here illegally)
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To: reaganaut1

Wow - everyone is shifting to Obama.

Next come the media reports of KKK members endorsing Obama...


5 posted on 10/11/2008 8:12:23 AM PDT by Tzimisce (How Would Mohammed Vote? Obama for President!)
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To: reaganaut1
The exchange was emblematic of the sharp divide among white, working-class female voters...

This is such terrible piece. They go from union members to all white females suggesting that the union members are representative of white females in the U.S. It's a piece written in a union town.

6 posted on 10/11/2008 8:12:54 AM PDT by raybbr (You think it's bad now - wait till the anchor babies start to vote!)
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To: reaganaut1

How is talking about Ayers going to address economic issues? Yes talk about Ayers, but also give people a reason to vote for him.

McCain needs to address the economic concerns by talking about cutting taxes on income and business taxes and elimination of the payroll tax.


7 posted on 10/11/2008 8:12:57 AM PDT by Perdogg (Raila Amollo Odinga - community organizer)
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Comment #8 Removed by Moderator

To: reaganaut1
Does it surprise anyone that more people think Sarah Palin is not qualified to be President when the press has spent a month talking only to her critics and claiming that she's unqualified and spending no time talking about her accomplishments (gas pipeline, ethics, spending cutting, etc.)?
9 posted on 10/11/2008 8:14:42 AM PDT by Question_Assumptions
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To: reaganaut1
McCain needs to convince voters he will deal better with the economy.

McCain lost this election by signing the bail out bill. If he wanted us to see what a maverick he really is, he should have handed out indictments...not his signature.

It is the failure of the GOP to stand up against socialist legislation brought about by the democRATs that is causing the market around the world to plumment. America is the only place where capitalism has a chance, if it doesn't exist here, the market confidence around the world goes with it.

If these white women are going for Obama because of what's happening in the stock market, there a bunch of ding bat air heads.

10 posted on 10/11/2008 8:15:33 AM PDT by Taggart_D
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To: reaganaut1
As the U.S. Economy Sputters, Working-Class Women Shift to Obama

Too bad these working class women do not understand that the economy is sputtering directly because of Obama's socialist leaning and policies. It is too bad that they cannot connect the dots; the Democrats sabotaged our economy and then blamed the Republicans. Thanks to our dumbed down schools, no one can see that. They probably will not see that even after Obama wins the election. Ignorance is abundant among these voters; the Dems want it that way.

11 posted on 10/11/2008 8:19:23 AM PDT by olezip
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To: reaganaut1

A better headline would be

“As Economy sputters, Drive By Media outlets increase layoffs, causing media to support Obama.”

“...David Gregory, NBC News Urinalist, said ‘I thought McCain was the man for the job. I was a McCain Man. But then our ratings went down, folks started getting laid off. I was looking for hope and change at that point. Me and many of my co-urinalists decide we would just come out and cheerlead the Obama campaign. He’s such a sharp looking, well spoken guy.’” /sarc


12 posted on 10/11/2008 8:20:49 AM PDT by johncocktoasten (Obama/Biden '08, in and of itself, A Bridge To Nowhere)
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To: reaganaut1
It was welfare moms and working women that voted against the conservatives in the recent Australian election....
13 posted on 10/11/2008 8:21:02 AM PDT by thinking
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To: reaganaut1

“That is just stupid,” Ginny McMillin, the head of her local, shot back. “People are saying ‘we don’t want a black man.’ Shame on America for thinking that!”

Dear, it’s that he’s a racist. “White man’s greed runs a world in need”, you know, comments like that from the audio version of his book.

Do your homework and then come back for a chat.


14 posted on 10/11/2008 8:21:13 AM PDT by JavaJumpy (The gloves are off, the heels are on - GO SARAHCUDA, GO!)
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To: reaganaut1
two white women sounded off at a union hall

Yea, right, like these two broads were going to vote republican before. My white @$$ they were.

15 posted on 10/11/2008 8:22:27 AM PDT by RetiredArmy (You have less than 3 weeks to be prepared for the worse. Get your guns and ammo, NOW!)
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To: reaganaut1
Late 30s, white female, teacher who belongs to the union voting for McCain/Palin. Why don't I ever get the calls for the election surveys? I'd skew the numbers for them...but uh oh, my vote wouldn't count!
16 posted on 10/11/2008 8:22:58 AM PDT by conservativeteach
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To: Tzimisce
Next come the media reports of KKK members endorsing Obama

Well, he is afterall the Messiah, the One we've been waiting for. /sarc

17 posted on 10/11/2008 8:23:13 AM PDT by Joiseydude (Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel,)
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To: Taggart_D
As I posted earlier, they are trying to shame voters into voting for Obama.

The Obama-Ayers strategy is to keep beating up whites over this alledged racism and terrorist branding so that they will vote for Obama to clear their conscience. How many idiots are going to fall for this?

18 posted on 10/11/2008 8:23:22 AM PDT by Kenny
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To: Taggart_D

“If these white women are going for Obama because of what’s happening in the stock market, there a bunch of ding bat air heads.”

Those ding bat air heads invariably have a sister who’s a financial advisor, lost tons, and is advising them to vote for 0bama - and after all, “she should know!”


19 posted on 10/11/2008 8:23:55 AM PDT by JavaJumpy (The gloves are off, the heels are on - GO SARAHCUDA, GO!)
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To: olezip

I am proud to say that I have several students (8th graders) who support McCain, and in class discussions, they want to argue the plans and issues. Very few of the Obama student supporters can argue the issues. They say he is “cool”. The “Republican” supporters want evidence of his policy, not his “cool factor”.
For added information, I act as devil’s advocate and facilitator. I do not share my beliefs. I ask that they become educated on the candidate and their record and not base their opinion on media spin and campaign advertising.


20 posted on 10/11/2008 8:32:45 AM PDT by conservativeteach
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