I don't understand how people vote directly against their own policy preferences. 66% vote for an increase in the minimum wage and 51% vote for Rauner? So 15% voted for Both a higher minimum wage AND Rauner?? It makes no sense.
How about this - 27%
http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Crazification_factor
The percentage that voted AGAINST the referendum to protect against Voting Discrimination?? 27%.
Here's a comment I read from commenter jjstraka @ http://driftglass.blogspot.com/ that captures it exactly, IMO:
more than anything this is our modern day version of the white backlash that swept Nixon into office in '68 and '72, and that Reagan rode for an entire decade. Obama's election and the subsequent 6 years have dug this nation's original sin up from it's rancid grave, and tonight is a night where it's made itself heard at the polls. The only question now is if they decide to put the cherry on top vile sundae we call a country and see if they will actually impeach the first African-American President for the temerity of existing.
And the media and the "both siders" turn so many people off that turnout is so low.
For Republican voters especially, I just don’t think these elections are really about policy but about striking back at the people who you think are “stealing” this country from you: single women, gay people, people of color, immigrants, liberal dudes who will probably wear baby slings when they become fathers. There’s a lot of talk about the gender gap, but the marriage gap is even bigger, with 58 percent of married people voting Republican and 56 percent of single people voting for Democrats. Racial gaps are even bigger. What we’re seeing is white people who think of themselves as “traditional” demanding that this country belongs to them and the rest of us are, at best, interlopers. Things like the minimum wage don’t even rate when identity issues like that, which strike to the core of who you imagine yourself to be, are on the table.
The takeaway from this is, well, it’s hard to say. I do think the everyone-else coalition will win in the long run and I’m skeptical of the efforts to say this is strictly a matter of Democrats or liberals not working hard enough. It’s foolish to underestimate the passion that people who fancy themselves “traditional” bring to defending their sense of entitlement to cultural dominance. The real issue here is that conservative voters aren’t stupid, despite their tendency to get wrapped up in bullshit. They do see the writing on the wall about our changing society and they don’t like it. They aren’t mistaken or misled about it. There really is a meanness there and there’s no quick fix to get away from it.
5 comments:
I don't understand how people vote directly against their own policy preferences. 66% vote for an increase in the minimum wage and 51% vote for Rauner? So 15% voted for Both a higher minimum wage AND Rauner?? It makes no sense.
How about this - 27%
http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Crazification_factor
The percentage that voted AGAINST the referendum to protect against Voting Discrimination?? 27%.
Here's a comment I read from commenter jjstraka @ http://driftglass.blogspot.com/ that captures it exactly, IMO:
more than anything this is our modern day version of the white backlash that swept Nixon into office in '68 and '72, and that Reagan rode for an entire decade. Obama's election and the subsequent 6 years have dug this nation's original sin up from it's rancid grave, and tonight is a night where it's made itself heard at the polls. The only question now is if they decide to put the cherry on top vile sundae we call a country and see if they will actually impeach the first African-American President for the temerity of existing.
And the media and the "both siders" turn so many people off that turnout is so low.
Here's a good piece that addresses that topic:
http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/05/the-tornado-election/
Exactly. Why are people so nonsensical? Why doesn't the cognitive dissonance make their heads explode??
This post explains it as "tribal" - not explicit racism so much as "white prople protecting their privilege".
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/11/voters-prefer-liberal-policies-so-why-do-republicans-win/
For Republican voters especially, I just don’t think these elections are really about policy but about striking back at the people who you think are “stealing” this country from you: single women, gay people, people of color, immigrants, liberal dudes who will probably wear baby slings when they become fathers. There’s a lot of talk about the gender gap, but the marriage gap is even bigger, with 58 percent of married people voting Republican and 56 percent of single people voting for Democrats. Racial gaps are even bigger. What we’re seeing is white people who think of themselves as “traditional” demanding that this country belongs to them and the rest of us are, at best, interlopers. Things like the minimum wage don’t even rate when identity issues like that, which strike to the core of who you imagine yourself to be, are on the table.
The takeaway from this is, well, it’s hard to say. I do think the everyone-else coalition will win in the long run and I’m skeptical of the efforts to say this is strictly a matter of Democrats or liberals not working hard enough. It’s foolish to underestimate the passion that people who fancy themselves “traditional” bring to defending their sense of entitlement to cultural dominance. The real issue here is that conservative voters aren’t stupid, despite their tendency to get wrapped up in bullshit. They do see the writing on the wall about our changing society and they don’t like it. They aren’t mistaken or misled about it. There really is a meanness there and there’s no quick fix to get away from it.
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