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Greg Sargent calls attention today to a new study on the white working class from the Public Religion Research Institute that demonstrates two things of special interest in this election season. Here’s Greg’s succinct take:
On “dependency,” the study finds that large numbers of working class whites (46 percent) have received Social Security or disability payments over the last two years; more than a fifth have received food stamps; 19% have received unemployment.
Yet the study also finds that three quarters of working class whites believe poor people have become too dependent on government assistance. There’s obviously overlap there, which bears out what some have already pointed out — many of these voters simply won’t think Romney’s comments about the freeloading 47 percent, or about government “dependency” in general, are about them.
But the findings on “redistribution” are also revealing. White working class voters want to soak the rich, and they agree with key aspects of Obama’s views about capitalism and inequality.
So this demonstrates what we’ve all sort of figured out: this category of voters, considered “swing” (though leaning heavily Republican in recent cycles) is open to criticism of Romney, his record, and his agenda; but also to Romney’s more ham-handed efforts to get them to focus on people receiving “welfare” or who are otherwise deemed “dependent on government.”
More colloquially, their attitudes indicate they are willing to “kick up” at the undeserving rich and “kick down” at the undeserving poor. The question is which they decide to do, which is itself a function of which candidate and party is deemed more interested in middle-class prospects. Anyone watching the presidential campaign ads this year will have noticed a real battle on that front.
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c u n d gulag on September 20, 2012 6:11 PM:
"More colloquially, their attitudes indicate they are willing to “kick up” at the undeserving rich and “kick down” at the undeserving poor."
How about we "kick 'em in the head" to get their feckin' attention?
JMG on September 20, 2012 6:17 PM:
Everybody sucks but me, and everybody else is the reason I'm unhappy. In an individual, we call that mental illness. But if millions of people feel the same way, in politics they become "swing voters."
Mitch on September 20, 2012 6:17 PM:
I see this constantly in friends/family from my hometown in Kentucky. If they have not directly benefited from government programs, then a relative has. Without exception. And many of them have never made enough money to pay income tax. Of course, they still complain more loudly than Romney - even those folks who currently draw checks, use food stamps, government funded helthcare and/or live in housing projects.
Most of them, when complaining about "leeches and welfare queens" are quite specific about the fact that they are complaining about non-white people.
The GOP is very good at creating "Us vs. Them" situations. Indeed, conservative philosophies in general are based on concepts of "Us vs. Them" and always have been.
It is sad that so many people fall for it. And it is even more sad that people like the folks from my home town do not realize that they will suffer greatly, once the safety nets are cut away.
Josef K on September 20, 2012 7:13 PM:
There's just no sanity in our politics anymore, is there?
Then again, was there ever?
emjayay on September 20, 2012 10:44 PM:
Mitch, are you the guy who said they lived in the Bay Area (like me) for years and then moved back home to Kentucky, and found that people there were really polite, friendly, and dumb as a box of rocks, or something like that?
This blog doesn't seem to have a way to look into commenter's history.
Anyway, if so, I'd like to hear more of your personal story.
Mitch on September 21, 2012 1:30 PM:
@emjayay
Well, if you're curious, here's my bio: I'm in my early 30s. I was born in Kentucky, in a small coal-mining town, to a teenage mother in a family of very, very poor Fundamentalist Southern Baptists. My step-father (whom I consider my father) was in the Navy, so I spent most of my childhood moving up and down the East Coast. I've lived in about 8 states (depending on how long one has to be in a place to count as living there).
I moved back to Kentucky halfway through high school, where I constantly had problems due to my innate relgious skepticism and the fact that my girlfriend was a beautiful, brilliant young woman who happened to be black. I have been disowned by family members for my atheism, and had bricks thrown at me for dating outside of my race. In high school I was openly persecuted by a few teachers who took major offense to my open lack of faith and constant defense of Evolution. But who could I turn to for help? Everyone in that part of the country would have been on the side of the theocratic teachers.
I will NEVER move back to Kentucky. I would rather be homeless. My hometown is the kind of place that is STILL in a dry county, because the churches don't want people to drink. One quarter of my hometown is named after a political/religious dynasty that has lorded over the county for nearly a century.
Yes, most of the folks are extremely nice, very generous and the pure essence of Southern Hospitality. BUT they are also Theocrats, who disrespect - in public and private both - anyone who disagrees with their religious/social/political views. They may not be dumb, but they are woefully uneducated, and most importantly reject any education that might interfere with their comforting, close-minded world views. The majority of them are the type of people that would cheerful disenfranchise, if not outright persecute, anyone who did not support their dogmas.
So, yeah, that's me. An outspoken atheist, very literate, with a passion for science, art and history; from a family of hillbilly theocrats. I was born in a house with no indoor toilets (outhouses and chamber pots only 30 years ago; how many Americans can say that!), and now I work for an excellent company in the Wine Country, with a simply amazing customer base and one hell of a view from my office windows. America, how I love thee; you've been so good to me!
Sorry for blabbing so much (as usual). I do suffer from diarrhea of the keyboard, lol.