On Feb 23, 2009, at 11:45 AM, Jim Devine wrote:
It seems that the "rational core" of Frank's argument may be that the DLC shift of the DP leadership has undermined the _enthusiasm_ of the party's working-class base. Like the "minority" communities, the working class has found itself having no choice but to vote for the DP as it becomes more and more like the "moderate Republicans" of the past and the GOP becomes dominated by the combination of "no new taxes" supply-side economics and moral posturing (which Dubya combined).
Check out the stuff in Bartels about how the white working class supports Republican economic policies. This may surprise people who say that their electoral problem has been a lack of economic populism.
Frank says almost nothing about race, but my guess is that a lot of that support for Rep economic policies consists of suspicion that Dems want to take white money and give it to black people. That may be changing now, of course.
And the other question: what's the matter with Connecticut & NJ? Why do these rich states vote Dem?
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