Why do blue collar Americans vote against their own self interest?

Question

Jobs are going overseas, oil companies are making record profits on our 4 dollar gas, insurance is out of reach for many Americans and college for your kids, what's that?

It appears they are more concerned about things that aren't even their business.

Answer 1

Most of it is along racial lines. A good friend once told me, there is nothing more angrier than a poor black person except a poor working class white person.

The poor traditionally are uneducated, the poor vote wit their KIND not from common sense.

Answer 2

Many  (just kidding)  po' white trash votes Republican due to the Democratic party's support of pro-choice. But, to me the issue is why do people on government economic assistance not get involved with those who seek to keep their economic assistance an ongoing policy ? People who are depended on government for their economic assistance should vote democrat. I am a registered Republican, but did vote for a Democrat Judge due to the wholesale corruption in Blount County,Tennesse, USA.

Answer 3

Shame on those oil companies for making profits! SHAME! Let's all don those Gestapo uniforms and go take those profits! s***w CAPITALISM! VIVA CHAVEZ!

When you can rid this country of unions and start paying people a decent wage instead of $50 an hour to do some electrician work, or work at an airline, jobs will continue to go overseas. Not the governments fault (Republican or Democrat) that other countries don't allow unions to f*ck up their workforce.

I don't know what you think the government can do to keep jobs here other than give company handouts at the taxpayers expense, which makes no sense.

Answer 4

Social values are of large importance to these people.  This same question is asked every four years and its gets worse every four years for the Democrats....yet the answer is always the same.

These blue collar folks attend church, often oppose abortion, definitely oppose homosexual marriage (in sky high proportions),...etc...etc.

The Democratic Party has for years sold itself as a party of the left in terms of these values, while the nation is decidedly right on these values (especially blue collar people).

This coupled with a belief by many that the Democrats will do virtually nothing different from the Republicans in terms of helping the blue collar middle class economically...sinks the Dem ship more often then not.

Answer 5

Yep and if they vote for Obama he will cause their taxes to go up.

The price of gases to go up with higher taxes.

Have more companies pack and move away to other countries because of the lower taxes they have to pay.

I just don't think the Democrats have the best interest of the blue collar worker in mind either.

Answer 6

Either they are uneducated, not well informed or think the grass is greener under a bigger socialist government.  Many have been brought up to think Republicans are for the rich and Democrats are for the poor.

fr.

Answer 7

Better than not voting at all... and voting libertarian is effectively not voting at all, which leaves you with two parties, both of which are against your own self interest.  (Unless you dislike your children, and they are of warring age)

Answer 8

Your arguments do not reflect those of average "blue collar" or "mid-level white collar" workers in the country.

Jobs are being outsourced. Absolutely true,, but there are also large numbers of jobs being in-sourced. This is the other side of the argument the opposition never seems to mention.

Oil companies are making record profits. Absolutely true, but the opposition is proposing nothing to lower those costs. Instead they favor additional taxes which will increase the costs and cause more inflation and job loss as a result.

Education costs are increasing. Absolutely true, but cite studies which show attendance at major universities are down and student loans are no longer available.

Health Costs and Insurance Costs are high. Absolutely true, but creating a national health is not going to lower costs to the average consumer and will only result in even greater tax burdens for the middle class.

Bigger government and more entitlements are never the answer and usually do more harm than good when imposed. If you want to appeal to the sensibilities of "blue collar workers" you are barking up the wrong tree. "Blue collar" workers are not looking for handouts. They are looking for real meaningful reform. Neither side is proposing it and sometimes the status quo is more acceptable than the alternative, but let's not let sanity stand in the way of a weak condescending "people don't know what's good for them" argument.

Answer 9

A taxpayer who votes for a democrat is like a chicken who votes for Colonel Sanders.