Who says white men can't jump?
This Democratic presidential nomination race that pits a bi-racial man against a woman, may well be determined by middle-class white men. They might determine the next occupant of the White House.
It certainly won't be the first time working-class white men have influenced our nation's politics. They were the main-stay of FDR's New Deal coalition. They were the "Reagan Democrats" who helped Ronald Reagan win office in the 80's. Then Bill Clinton won many of them back to the Democratic Party in the 90's.
And they were the same "angry white males" who resented affirmative action and the women's movement enough to help Republicans capture Congress a couple years later.
They make up nearly one-fourth of the electorate, outnumbering African-American and Hispanic voters combined.
A lot of these white men just won't go along with Hillary Clinton, who's a symbol for everything that irritates them -- the women's movement, women in the workforce, etc.
That's why they've started voting for Barack Obama.
Yes, primary exit polls show that Obama is picking up support from white men from lower income, less educated voters and union voters. That pretty well sums up the angry white male demographic.
Bringing these men back to our party is a very healthy sign...working white men are a damned big demographic. It would be great if we could rebuild the Democratic party that existed before sexism, racism and Reagan splintered it.
Here's the CNN exit poll of Wisconsin voters:
Obama won male voters 67% to 31% -- they split the women's vote.
Obama won all education levels (narrow margin for high school only) and all income levels.
Obama won white men 63% to 34%.
Clinton won white women, but only 52% to 47%.
Obama won union households.
The Virginia exit poll last week found a similar trend.
So, Barack Obama is making history in more ways than one on his march to the White House -- he's picking up strong majorities of white men. That's unheard of...white men have always been the most reactionary, racially-bonded voting group, and the deepest well of anti-Black hostility in the country.
So, why are they jumping to vote for Obama?
Maybe because Obama has been sending messages from day one that he will take race and sex privilege off the table? Notice how he doesn't preach about either?
I do have one little theory about Barack Obama's unusual appeal to white males.
Since a good many American white males under 50 are so crazy about spectator sports, maybe they see Barack Obama as a cross between Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan.
No really...just watch ESPN for a while and notice how many black athletes are important stars for more than just their athletic prowess. A lot of these athletes are wildly successful and have a ton of charisma. And money. Their audience of white men perceive them as leaders.
So maybe it's not so far-fetched for these white males to see Obama as a leader.
Just sayin'.....
