Monday, May 9, 2011

Whittington: Romney Supported by Elites, Palin by Working Class

"Palin is better positioned to garner votes than is Romney"
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Mark Whittington analyzes the results of a recent Gallup poll which shows that support for former governors Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin are mirror images when broken down by income:
Support for Romney climbs with the income level of the American being asked, whereas it falls for Palin.

It might be tempting to ascribe this difference in support to personal styles and histories. Romney is well to do, practically to the manor born, with smooth manners, expensive clothes, and the history of being a successful CEO. Palin, on the other hand, is working class, self made, with a more natural, folksy manner about her. Romney would never be caught dead gutting halibut or dressing a newly killed caribou; he doubtless has people who will do that for him.

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The Gallup Poll suggests Palin is better positioned to garner votes than is Romney. There are just more poor people than there are rich. That is one reason the Democrats, by conducting class warfare, have had some success.

Of course, concerning the class warfare strategy, one might conclude it would not be as effective against Palin than it would be against Romney. Palin may now be a relatively wealthy woman, but that money was earned and not inherited. Barack Obama's job as a "community organizer" is not going to go very well in a class war when matched up against a woman who worked in commercial fishing and as a sports reporter for a local TV station.

[More]
- JP

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