Why Reagan Democrats Support Hillary Over Obama
13 April 2008 9:00 am by Taylor Marsh
Why Reagan Democrats Support Hillary Over Obama
reader guest post by wbboei
Barack Obama’s 20 year relationship with racist Reverend Wright who bellows
“Goddam America” from the pulpit is a dispositive factor in this
election. While it may not offend the sensibilities of elites in the media,
academia, legal profession and business circles, it is repugnant to a pivotal
group commonly referred to as “Reagan Democrats”. Elites underestimate
the magnitude of the problem because they are detached from this group and are
afflicted with a sense of moral relativism.
Reagan Democrats are an ethnically diverse people who believe in a code of
self reliance, equality and individualism. They are patriotic, religious and
deeply distrustful of elites. They trace their origin back to the Scots-Irish
clans who settled along the American frontier, but they are not racially exclusive.
Rather, they are defined and motivated by the code and values described above.
The distinction between elites and Reagan Democrats is stark. It can be summed
up in these words: “I will not be won by weaklings-subtle, and suave and
mild-but by men with the hearts of Vikings-and the simple faith of a child”
(Robert Service: The Law of the Yukon, 1898).
Reagan Democrats comprise a substantial segment of the middle class and working
class population. They are well represented in the military and Congress. Typically,
they do not hold top positions in elite fields. Yet, elites need their support
in order to win elections and secure their policy objectives.
In recent years, the Democratic Party has nominated a succession of elite intellectuals
for the Presidency. Those elections were lost because Reagan Democrats voted
against them. Barack Obama is merely the latest example of this mistake. Even
so, they were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. But when they learned
of the racial threats and garish anti-Americanism of his spiritual advisor all
bets were off. Obama repudiated them through his surrogate and now they must
repudiate Obama. Sure as the earth turns, if he is the nominee they will vote
against him.
By contrast, Reagan Democrats see Hillary as one of their own- despite her
extraordinary intellect and fine education. The issue of gender which made some
men reluctant to support her has been marginalized by the Wright episode. Her
campaign visits to communities across the country have challenged the negative
caricature painted by the right wing over the past 15 years. They see Hillary
as their champion fighting for them against the elite forces they despise (i.e.
media whores, left wing kooks and party hacks). They share her goals and relate
to her struggle on a very personal level.
In sum, this pivotal group is now squarely behind Hillary and there is nothing
Obama can do about it. The Wright problem which Barack never told them about
has put media elites and senior party officials on the horns of a dilemma. After
all, they have promoted him shamelessly to the American People but it is now
clear that he cannot win the General Election. Therefore, they must find a face
saving way to move away from Obama to Hillary if they hope to preserve their
own credibility and prevail in November 2008.
