Challenge: describe a bellwether voter born 100 years ago

[H. Ross Peron]

A variant of a Reagan Democrat is most likely. Working-class "ethnic" white male born in Cleveland, Ohio who supported the party of the New Deal and FDR in his youth. Served in the military, which caused him to switch to Eisenhower in '52 and '56 and probably moved out to the suburbs. Still voted for Democratic candidates like JFK and LBJ. However switched to Nixon over "law and order" issues and appeals to the silent majority in 1968, reinforced in 1972 due to seeing McGovern as far too leftist. Returned to the Democrats in 1976 due to the disillusionment over Watergate and seeing Carter as a moderate. However the economic troubles and the Iran hostage crisis caused him to switch once again to Reagan whose jaunty optimism reminded him of FDR's as well as his perceived hawkishness. This was exacerbated by the voter's social conservatism which became more pronounced as the Culture Wars began to draw out. Still he voted for Clinton both times out of perceived competence and moderation although switched back to Bush in 2000 over social issues and in 2004 due to the War on Terror. However the latest economic crisis brought the voter back to the opinion that the Democratic Party was the one which had consistently stood for working-class and middle-class interests as seen by Republican Party focus on entitlement cuts and austerity policies.