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How are so-called working-class Appalachia whites Obama’s problem? If they can’t see beyond their racism, Obama will never get their vote no matter how hard he tries. It makes sense to let them wallow in their heartland gutter.
by Patrix | on Tuesday, May 20th, 2008 at 10:38 pm | 
Asides, Politicking . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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May 20th, 2008 at 11:49 pm reply
Missing out the action. Can you give me background for your post?
BTW, on the right column, why is “vinod kambli wife kamasutra” the most popular seach on your blog? :)
May 21st, 2008 at 8:30 am reply
It does indeed.
May 21st, 2008 at 8:30 am reply
This would explain why Sen. Robert Byrd, former member of the KKK, gets elected every time.
May 21st, 2008 at 9:52 am reply
Niket, seemingly the ‘working class whites’ in Appalachia e.g. WV vote on the basis of race; they overwhelmingly choose the white candidate over the black one and aren’t afraid to admit so. But the media keeps on harping about how Obama fails to get their vote and how big of a problem it is for him.
Re:popular search. Beats me. Ask google and the visitors that come through that search term. All I did is that one post on Vinod Kambli and his wife :)
Prashant, sure does.
Niraj, I’m surprised that someone could freely admit to being an ex-leader of a racist organization and still get elected. Its like an ex-Nazi getting elected in some part of Germany.
May 21st, 2008 at 11:51 am reply
I just looked up Sen. Byrd’s wiki entry and his membership in KKK. Seems like he has apologized enough and I’d rather look at his votes and actions to “judge” him. Everyone makes mistakes - what’s important is whether they realize that and make amends for it. YMMV.
May 21st, 2008 at 12:00 pm reply
Amit, of course! I don’t hold it against him either. But would an ex-Nazi’s apology hold up in the eyes of the voters? Or would an ex-KKK member’s apology hold up in non-conservative state?
May 21st, 2008 at 2:26 pm reply
Patrix, I can only speak for myself. :)
But would an ex-Nazi’s apology hold up in the eyes of the voters?
You mean as a percentage? That would depend on the individual voters, and that person’s track-record (in terms of actions) after the apology.
As for people in non-conservative states, are they not open to forgiveness and considering that person’s actions? That wouldn’t be very progressive/liberal of them now, would it? Though there may be many people who were affected by KKK (and still are) who would not consider voting for him based on his past association. Everyone has different priorities when choosing who to vote for.
May 21st, 2008 at 4:13 pm reply
Amit, in an idealized world, yes. But unfortunately voters tend to be emotionally swayed and no matter how profusely the candidates apologize for past actions or associations, on average voters can be less forgiving. Sex scandals are a prime example. Also, the authenticity of the candidate matters. Is he apologizing because he really is repenting or doing so for political gain? It is all in the matter of perception.