Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Will Angry White Men decide the election?

Here is an article that suggests they might, if by "angry" you mean the following detailed description. Sounds like a lot of guys I've known.

From Gary Hubbell of the Aspen Times Weekly:
In election 2008, don’t forget Angry White Man
[...] Each candidate is carefully pandering to a smorgasbord of special-interest groups, ranging from gay, lesbian and transgender people to children of illegal immigrants to working mothers to evangelical Christians.

There is one group no one has recognized, and it is the group that will decide the election: the Angry White Man. The Angry White Man comes from all economic backgrounds, from dirt-poor to filthy rich. He represents all geographic areas in America, from urban sophisticate to rural redneck, deep South to mountain West, left Coast to Eastern Seaboard.

His common traits are that he isn’t looking for anything from anyone — just the promise to be able to make his own way on a level playing field. In many cases, he is an independent businessman and employs several people. He pays more than his share of taxes and works hard.

The victimhood syndrome buzzwords — “disenfranchised,” “marginalized” and “voiceless” — don’t resonate with him. “Press ‘one’ for English” is a curse-word to him. He’s used to picking up the tab, whether it’s the company Christmas party, three sets of braces, three college educations or a beautiful wedding.

He believes the Constitution is to be interpreted literally, not as a “living document” open to the whims and vagaries of a panel of judges who have never worked an honest day in their lives. [...]

This goes on to give a great description of guys like many men I've known. But there's one part of the description that worries me a little:

[...] He might be a Republican and he might be a Democrat; he might be a Libertarian or a Green. He knows that his wife is more emotional than rational, and he guides the family in a rational manner. [...]

Is Mrs. Angry White Man a Democrat who always votes Democrat? When I lived in California, it seems like almost every Republican guy you met had a Democrat wife... just like California's governor! ;-)

Read the whole thing, it's good.
     

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