Polls: Obama falters with working-class whites

Source: AP/MSNBC


Impression of presidential hopeful among important group is getting worse
updated 21 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Barack Obama's problem winning votes from working-class whites is showing no sign of going away, and their impression of him is getting worse.

Those are ominous signals as he hopes for strong performances in the coming week in Indiana and North Carolina primaries that would derail the candidacy of Hillary Rodham Clinton, his rival for the Democratic presidential nomination. Those contests come as his candidacy has been rocked by renewed attention to his volatile former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and by his defeat in last month's Pennsylvania primary.

In an Associated Press-Yahoo News poll in April, 53 percent of whites who have not completed college viewed Obama unfavorably, up a dozen percentage points from November. During that period, the numbers viewing Clinton and Republican candidate John McCain negatively have stayed about even.

Huge preference for Clinton
The April poll — conducted before the Pennsylvania contest — also showed an overwhelming preference for Clinton over Obama among working-class whites. They favored her over him by 39 percentage points, compared to a 10-point Obama lead among white college graduates. Obama also did worse than Clinton among those less-educated voters when matched up against Republican candidate John McCain.





Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24447399/

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The sad fact is that BO is un-electable in November, the demographics will put McCain in the White House like it did with Ray-guns. We need Al Gore to save us.

Makes more money there too, I'd guess. Less stress too.

He's a douche. Not really a friend of ours in a lot of ways. I'm sure that will get a lot of people angry, but he's done some admirable work for global warming and would have made a decent president in relative terms (within the current paradigm of domestic corporate dictatorship and imperial militarism) . All I can think of, though, is that, in the 1980s, rather than trying to do something about energy, he was outraged over Prince lyrics.

He said some cool things in his public speaking engagements during this Bush administration, but he waited until after the fact. I don't think he fought hard enough in 2000, either, during the great corporate coup.

is the epitome of willful ignornace.

Bring on the brokered convention!

Apple was sued for the working conditions in their iPod factories.

Gore did have a hard-on for "indecent" lyrics in the mid-80s. Unless you're a total right-wing tool (and I doubt you are), you would probably agree that there were and are more important things for a Senator to be devoting his time to.

Gore DID give up in 2000. He KNEW the election was being stolen. He just didn't have the balls when it actually mattered. Yeah, he's been talking really tough since 2002, but what about when he had the power?

Gore isn't all bad, but he's far from the bastion of progressive causes that people make him out to be.

all of the way to the Supreme Court, the highest law in our land.

What would you have suggested after * stole the election?

Btw, Gore had nothing to do w/"indecent lyrics".

Your idea of our history is extremely lacking in facts.

She also didn't like Twisted Sister.

It's the person responding to me that seems to think that it was Al Gore, not me.

Its been a long day:-) :-)

Tipper was the leader of that bullshit organization, but Al was an active member on that committee holding hearings. If he didn't want to give it the time of day, which he shouldn't have, the hearings wouldn't have been held.

You really think he put his whole heart and soul into that fight in 2000? It sure as hell didn't seem that way to me. Black people were being disenfranchised for God's sake. He could have blown the whole thing open in the media.

It's not Gore's intellect that should be called into question. It is his courage and "heart" that is questionable. The times when he had the chance to be a lion, he chose to act like a mouse.

Who sit on their asses and criticize.

Here's reality: the perfect "progressive" will always be an annoying twit who cannot be elected to the presidency because perfection is without compromise.

And there is nothing more compromising than the presidency of the United States. Or any nation.

Deal with the real or you will achieve nothing.

Why would he want to be President? That was his father's dream not his. He looked almost shocked that he might win the 2000 election. He kept trying to conceded the election to Bush. Bill Daley his campaign guy told him to hold off, etc.

How's that working out for ya?

obama should end his campaign for the good of the Democratic Party.

it's one of the most mind-numbingly misinformed posts I've ever seen.

BTW, hillary is finished. Tuesday , Obama drives the final nails into her unremarkable political career.

and would have been with any other self-respecting candidate.

Tuesday will prove BO is unelectable.

It's either Obama or McCain

I am not sure how to express what I am thinking but here goes anyway. If I am not college educated and I see that those with more education than me are flocking to Obama, am I that stupid to understand that perhaps I don't know as much as I should to understand what is going on? Am I also so stupid to understand that the media is routinely insulting me by inferring the uneducated are voting for Hillary? What will it take for this group to notice the light that is on in the living room?

Labels are made by lazy people who don't want to think. i.e Our media

Seems odd to me.

Barack Obama.

Hillary is hardly a supporter of working class people...she of NAFTA, GATT, WTO and welfare reform fame. Glass Stegal...repealed under her and her husband's administration (if she wants to take the glory she must accept the blame of the damage done to working class Americans during the 1990s).

Barack Obama...former community organizer

Hillary Clinton...former Goldwater girl and Wal-Mart board member.

He's very rich in campaign money. He will bring troops home only to send them to be a "policing force". Is that different than Bush?

You might like him because he wants to remain in the Middle East?

after all I can't stand Clinton but I may have to cast a vote for her.

Also, these things are situational. Put him against McCain in November and he will be viewed more favorably.

Don't forget, Hillary's negatives amongst all Americans are above 50%. One demographic of working class people will not decide the election.

That sounds about right to me.

People who have been paying any attention to the details know OBAMA is the only sensible choice in this 3 way race.

He might lack the 'experience' the other 2 have but I actually think that's a POSITIVE when I consider what their 'experience' would mean for the average American.

I'm an educated person with two degrees and an IQ in the top 1.5% and I will never vote for the fake Obama. Ever. The man is a fraud - he's going to be just as much of a disaster as Bushie boy. I believe he's going to be the next president because the American people are stupid twits who think one guy with a pretty face and a nice speech can save them.

So enjoy President Obama and the coming disaster.

they will all disappoint you. obama will, too. are you saying you'll vote for a republican? what website are you over 1000 posts on?

a pretty face & a nice speech will be the best thing to happen to america in 8 years.

But I live in a state that will go 80/20 Dem/R - so I have that luxury.

I vote D down the ticket, always. I have never, in over 20 years of voting, ever, voted for a Republican. And that is a lot more than a *lot* of Obama voters can, or ever will be able to say.

a lot of people said they were moving to canada in 2004, too.

Is Obama losing the white working class votes? That is the current Clintonian would-be meme. But look who is really losing Democratic voters, it's not Obama. Charles Blow, writing in the May 3, 2008 NY Times (http://tinyurl.com/6psw4h) shows that Obama may have lost 5 per centage points or so in favorability ratings during the Wright fracas, he gained 5 points in his favorability rates, while Clinton has lost 36 percentage points in her favorability ratings with the black Democratic voting community. Al Giordano, writing at "The Field" blog has a important discussion of this phenomenon at http://ruralvotes.com/thefield/?p=1144.

I am suppose to believe that if Obama is the nominee, all these people think they will be better off with McCain's healthcare plan? McCain's NAFTA is just fine plan, Iraq is going well plan?

If this group really believes this, then I hope they get McCain for president. At least then they will finally understand the words, "I just fucked myself for good."

"policing force" there. Isn't that what Bush calls them now?

Just don't complain about McCain when he does nothing about Iraq, healthcare, NAFTA, to name a few.

think.

"Obama falters with white trash"

These are the same block of voters that turned out for Bush in droves in '04.

or did you think it was Gore that failed with them in 2000 too?

Hillary is Only campaigning to white people. playing on prejudice to get a vote. The last time she talked to a predominantly non-white group was in mississippi.

Obama has never attempted to campaign to just one race of people. And if you want to throw up polls what about the fact the she can't even get 10% of the "black vote". Why isn't that of great importance, why are they shouting from the roof tops, "WHY DOES HILARY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE BLACK VOTE"

They assume blacks with never defect from the democratic party, well guess what if they take this from Obama, they can kiss the "Black Vote" goodbye. McCain can be free to Fcuk this country for more wonderful years.
Well you know what they say about when you assume?

with the most reliable Democratic blocks, namely African Americans & party activists. But if the party (in their wisdom)chooses to court the Bubba vote, to the disenfranchisement of the most loyal constituencies, then we'll see how that plays out in November. I just hope they remember that the Bubba vote, who routinely vote against their own interests, can be swayed with flag pins, and hands over the heart, and gave us Bush.

Most of us "educated" people know that it would be disastrous for the party, and would be a huge drag on down ticket races, if Hillary receives the nod, and I hope most elected SD's know this.

As I watched the Obamas have to explain their relationship with Rev. Wright ad nauseam, I began to have the same feelings that I had after Kerry lost in '04: They're too good for this country.

America doesn't seem to want a president (and his or her spouse) who are thoughtful, introspective, and god forbid - "intellectual" - or even nice. They'd rather have a divisive character like Bush or Hillary in charge, who will continue the war between the left and right - or at least what Hillary considers to be the left.

Hillary says she "a fighter". Exactly. And that's part of the problem. She doesn't know how to get along with people. To her, politics is all about mortal combat. Crush your enemies, and never even consider that there might be a way to be a leader for ALL of the people.

And then we have idiots like Chris Matthews who insult the educated people of this country every day when he says that "real people are for Hillary", or "working people like Hillary". If you graduate from college, you're not a "real person" anymore.

Once again, it looks like the lowest common dominator will win.

Hillary should be warned, however, if she happens to wrest the nomination away from Obama: She will be seen as the "elitist" the moment Obama leaves the race, and the Republican attack machine will be smiling from ear to ear.

Tribune and the IL Dems (Durbin and Emanuel) who want pro-war people in office.

"Nothing in politics happens by mistake or accident. It is planned that way." Roosevelt.

A Clintonista. We in Illinois need to purge our state government of these former-Clinton administration people.

Your statement about Durbin and Emnauel is a pretty controversial, but it's probably true. Outside of Sanders, I have no use for anybody in the Senate.

If you remember correctly Sen. Durbin voted against the IWR.

in IL who wanted to end the war. No support there at all.

What is that about if he's so "independent" and honest?

amensty support after the candidate won the Democatic primary in IL. The candidate opposing her would have won if that was the agenda. We lost a few seats in Congress because of them...maybe more in the country because of this agenda (which party members never got to support or not). It was not part of the discussion.

..don't they COUNT? They are NOT voting for Hillary, largely.

Guess that doesn't count. Racist, much? Pffft!

And the lamestream media just WON'T LET GO of the Wright thing. EVERYONE is likely sick to death of hearing about it by now.

MSHRC is attempting to sink Obama with their stupid memes. FUNNY the FACTS they conveniently leave OUT of their little stories.

It's FUNNY how the BLACK voting blocs don't count -- but the BLACK pastors DO.

Sorry you need other people including white guys.

But I am also sure that there are far fewer today then in years past. I think that the whites who 100% rule out Obama would not be considering a democrat today anyway. 1960s white Southern Dems are now Republicans for the most part and they would not vote for our candidate anyway. Same could be said for most right wingers all across the nation.

The rest I am willing to bet will give Obama a good look regardless of what polls today suggest. Once Obama wraps this up and HRC goes away, and you take a month or 2 to heal the primary wounds and focus on the Repukers I think people of all races will rally around this guy.

not happen.

I am not from there, but I am sure Chicago holds Obama in high esteem. Why wouldn't they vote for him in Chicago? If you said Salt Lake City or some other right wing stronghold I would probably agree, but Chicago? Thats our parties turf! Not the Repubs. Unless I am missing some info that you have about Chicago.

Obama and Clinton are both Chicago natives.

hence they didn't go for Gore or Kerry.

Working-class, non-college educated people voted for Bush because Bush was the macho tough guy candidate. a stupid reason to vote for someone maybe, but if you underestimate the stupidity of the average American voter you do so at your own risk.

be a rare animal on our worker party. It's not that they are stupid. Non-college people may not have voted at all rather than for Bush. Our voting percentage is way down for both parties.

blue collar workers will stay home this November too. Or they vote for the macho war hero (McCain).

Obama should talk the issues, but he better not be afraid to throw the kitchen sink as well, go for the jugular. Talk about McCain's 8 mansions, talk about Hagee, the fortune he has under his wife's name, remind voters of McCain's every gaffe, admitting Iraq war was for oil, etc. Destroy McCains character. Winning on the issues is not enough. The candidate that knows how to push people's emotional buttons will usually win!

against Bush. Just the fact that he ran against Bush makes him a hero with some Republicans.

Enough said.

from working class whites. As much as you'd like to believe you can do without them...you can't.

Everyone knows they want one of their own in (under) control. Hillary and McCain are both owned and operated by the corporate world. They can't afford to let someone in who's not going to do what he/she is told. Notice how they took care of John Edwards? Just ignored him. They actually screwed up with Barack. Maybe they thought he was a flash in the pan. Didn't take him seriously until it was too late.

He's too busy saving the environment. Higher calling.

and I think ultimately the line that sinks Obama.

Working class whites in the Bible belt are not going to vote for an African-American. It is taboo and I think those who are publicly gung ho for Hillary are going to vote for McSame when it comes down to it. Voting for a women is a weakness. It's a betrayal of some demented 'tradition.' And I can't think of a scenario that sees them voting for an African-American. Also a betrayal of that 'tradition.'

from what I have seen of the natives, not the transplants, here. They won't vote for a woman or an African American.

There is a Bible belt in the area.

he would get their votes

but for every working class person who doesnt vote for him because of 'their racism', there's 2 who correctly see him as another global elitist, like hillary and mccain

are selling? Maybe so, among those who haven't completed college.

They probably can't get their heads around Rev. Wright either. How many of them would cast a vote anyway?