On Tue, 16 Mar 2004 12:48:59 -0500 Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com>
writes:
> Wojtek Sokolowski wrote:
>
> >Equally, if not more amazing is the perceived mobility; those
> >perceiving themselves as upwardly mobile voted Gore, those who were
> >downwardly mobile or stuck in the same position voted Bush.
> >Interestingly, downwardly mobile also voted for Nader more
> frequently
> >than those upwardly mobile (4 vs 2%).
> >
> >The implication of it is that downwardly mobile people tend to
> espouse
> >fascist/reactionary tendencies, which explains their vote for Bush.
> >Only the disgruntled downwardly mobile lefties may vote for a lefty
> >alternative to the Democratic party, but since they such a pathetic
> >minority - they are a mere noise in the system, but sometimes can
> be a
> >spoiler.
>
> It's also possible that people have a partisan evaluation of the
> economy - in 2000, Dems perceived it as good and getting better, and
>
> so voted for Gore, and Reps vice versa.
I think as Kelley has suggested, it is a matter of who the incumbent party was at the time. In 1992, the Republicans were the incumbent party, so those people who felt that their economic circumstances were deteriorating would have been more inclined to vote for either Clinton or Perot whereas those who felt their circumstances were improving would have been more likely to vote for the elder Bush. In 2000, it was the Democrats who were the incumbent party, so those who were downwardly mobile would have been more likely to vote for either the younger Bush or Nader, whereas those who felt they were upwardly mobile would have gone for Gore.
Also, Wojtek writes:
"So if the Bushies decide to play the "outgroups (gays, Europeans and assorted foreigners, liberal elites) gaining on us red blooded Amerikuns" game - things can get pretty nasty soon."
Well, as I understand it, Wojtek has been living in the US since the 1980s. I, as one who has lived here all his life, can ensure him that Republicans those cards ever since I can remember (and my lifetime extends back to the second Eisenhower Administration - didn't Ike make hay out of running against that 'pointy head', Adlai Stevenson?). Certainly, Nixon, Reagan and the elder Bush all made a point of running against commies, the liberal elites (or "effete snobs" as Agnew called them) and various foreigners. So what's going to make the younger Bush any different?
Jim F.
>
> Doug
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