I'm assuming that nonwhite voters voted the same regardless of income, and that the racial mix of voters by income class matches that of the general population. Doug
WHITE VOTE, 2000
Gore Bush Under $15,000 48% 45% $15,000-29,000 45% 50% $30,000-49,000 40% 58% Over $50,000 38% 59% Over $75,000 38% 60% Over $100,000 37% 60%
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There is a deeper problem that has been obscured by numbers in almost all the reports that seem to show the US is more conservative and racist than I think it is---judging from nothing but an intuitive impression and a sense of history (and perhaps wishful thinking).
Here's the problem. Both parties are intent on refining their message to appeal to the same group, which is roughly middle class middle aged white men with a moderately good job who live in the south, border states and midwest---and the women who married them. This particular group is idealized as `typical american'. Both parties ignore almost every other constituency.
The political figures that run for public office are almost entirely cloned on this same brain dead white guy without a clue. So they preselect their constituency which is always the same. Exit polls reflect numbers like those posted by Doug, above, showing that elections are close, and indeed those who most closely resemble that same brain dead clone without a clue, wins.
Well duh! If you cater only to one group, make yourself look like that group and ignore everybody else, of course that is the only group that votes and those candidates that best imitate the look and feel of that particular voting group win.
Contrast this to the fact that this same voting group is not that representative of the population as a whole.
I'd like to see census figures that show what percentage of the voting age population (whether they vote or not), this damned group respresent.
I could be way off, but I would guess this group doesn't represent a simple majority of the voting age population.
So the answer is to stop catering to them, and dig up votes from somewhere else--preferably anywhere else.
Chuck Grimes