I feel like the Democratic Party is Charlie Brown and the "rural white" vote is Lucy sometimes

Every election we go through this. "We need someone "electable" "Who will appeal to white blue collar voters?" We constantly go after this vote hard, begging, promising, riding around in pickup trucks, etc etc etc. Every election we get "No, this time they really might consider voting for you if you just spend a little more time and effort". And every year, the football is snatched away and we're left going "AAUGH".



And this year it seems as we're running up to kick that ball, we're trampling over our most loyal and strongest supporters.

but I think the rural white vote and the white working class (esp male) vote are both "gettable" but it is going to take a certain kind of candidate with a certain kind of speech to get it. Fortunately, I don't think this candidate would have to sacrifice our core values to win these folks but it does need to be the right candidate. That said, I really thought that Dean MIGHT'VE been that candidate and I was fairly certain that Edwards was. Witness their results. Maybe I don't get it.

I think if Obama gets out there in those areas (and, yep, he'll run into folks who'll tell him he's a Muslim and a terrorist), BUT if he goes in and listens and cares ... they'll respond.

The very progressive Sherrod Brown did just that in Ohio in 2006. He wasn't SUPPOSED to win against Mike DeWine. Brown is a LIE-brul, voted against the war ... heck, his wife didn't even take his last name! BUT he went all over the state to all sorts of little rural counties and LISTENED and CARED.

He kicked some serious DeWine butt.

And I keep thinking about how well Obama did in Wisconsin ... and not just in Madison, but in more rural areas with lots of poor, white males. We have ignored that primary for some reason. Obama kicked Hillary's tail there ... and did very well with all those voters Hillary claims he can't reach.

And there are some older people in these areas who will probably never vote for an AA person. I'm kind of amazed that they aren't having more of a problem voting for a woman. Still, I think like you do that there are many people who will vote for Obama if he campaigns in their area and their newspapers print favorable coverage. Once you break through the bad gossip that they've heard and get the truth to them, most of them are the best people in the world and they'll like him and vote for him. Ya'll know what I mean?