Could white, working class voters cost Obama the election?

[Lincoln Republican]

In a McCain/Obama race, could white, working class voters cost Obama the election?

Swing states Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, could loom large in this voting group.

Please discuss.

Edit:  together, these states have 59 very crucial electoral votes.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I don't know about Virginia, as Obama outperforms Clinton there, but it definitely will cost Obama West Virginia, Ohio, and possibly Pennsylvania. He needs to find a way to get these voters on his side, but chances are his race and personality will hinder that substantially.

[J. J.]

PA, OH, MI, VA, even WI could be problematic.

[Torie]

Sure it "could."  I don't think that is going out on a limb. In fact, I don't think that one moves much up beyond the base of the trunk actually.

[MarkWarner08]

West Virginia is not a swing state. Even David Axelrod concedes that at leans McCain. I'm really tired of all of these euphemisms people are using for the white racist vote. There are some white folks who won't vote for a black man. Period.

A fundamentalist Christian friend of mine won't vote for Republican Senator Gordon Smith because Smith is a Mormon. Although he agrees with Smith 90% of the time, he's basing his vote on religious bigotry. I don't hold that against him because most people vote based on visceral, not logical motivations.

[Sam Spade]

West Virginia is not a swing state. Even David Axelrod concedes that at leans McCain. I'm really tired of all of these euphemisms people are using for the white racist vote. There are some white folks who won't vote for a black man. Period.

The problem is not WV, the problem is SE Ohio.

[MarkWarner08]

West Virginia is not a swing state. Even David Axelrod concedes that at leans McCain. I'm really tired of all of these euphemisms people are using for the white racist vote. There are some white folks who won't vote for a black man. Period.

The problem is not WV, the problem is SE Ohio.

Oh, the irony! The last time the Republican brand was so tarnished, a high-flying Democratic nominee running on a message filled with platitudes and light on specifics lost a huge lead in the polls and narrowly won the election thanks to a close win in Ohio. SE Ohio was the key to Carter's '76 Ohio win; now it may hold the key to the White House for John McCain.

[Sam Spade]

West Virginia is not a swing state. Even David Axelrod concedes that at leans McCain. I'm really tired of all of these euphemisms people are using for the white racist vote. There are some white folks who won't vote for a black man. Period.

The problem is not WV, the problem is SE Ohio.

Oh, the irony! The last time the Republican brand was so tarnished, a high-flying Democratic nominee running on a message filled with platitudes and light on specifics lost a huge lead in the polls and narrowly won the election thanks to a close win in Ohio. SE Ohio was the key to Carter's '76 Ohio win; now it may hold the key to the White House for John McCain.

It's been the key to every Democratic win since 1960.  Maybe there's another way that Obama has of winning Ohio or he can win without Ohio, but it's the easiest path to victory.

[Torie]

Ya Sam, but then there is Columbus (a larger city than Cleveland now, and ever more influential demographic dopplegamer in Ohio). The Ying and the Yang.

[Sam Spade]

Ya Sam, but then there is Columbus (a larger city than Cleveland now, and ever more influential demographic dopplegamer in Ohio). The Ying and the Yang.

Why I said - maybe there's another way...

[Ban my account ffs!]

I guess one of the pressing questions I have is:  Why do working class whites in Minnesota support and favor Obama while they support Clinton by wide margins in the rust belt?

[MarkWarner08]

I guess one of the pressing questions I have is:  Why do working class whites in Minnesota support and favor Obama while they support Clinton by wide margins in the rust belt?

Do we really know that? Weren't most of the working class white voters who came to the MN Caucus members of unions that backed Obama?

Edit: Sorry if that hastily composed sentence doesn't make any sense.

[Smash255]

Ya Sam, but then there is Columbus (a larger city than Cleveland now, and ever more influential demographic dopplegamer in Ohio). The Ying and the Yang.

Why I said - maybe there's another way...

Which is why I think Obama will be in the same range of what Clinton would get in OH (and both would win it).  Clinton would do a bit better with the working class voters, especially in the SE than Obama would, but Obama would do better in and around Columbus than Clinton.