Who wins “Reagan Democrats”?

[Panda Express]

Quite possibly the most critical voting group of all - who wins Reagan Democrats?

[Darthpi – Anti-Florida Activist]

It's been 40 years these people are in their eighties if they're even still alive.

[Mr. Smith]

The undertakers and cremators pretty much already have.

[libertpaulian]

It's been 40 years these people are in their eighties if they're even still alive.

I don't think he necessarily means the OG Reagan Democrats but rather the demographic- white people, typically male, without a college education and work in manufacturing or trade jobs.

[Starry Eyed Jagaloon]

It's been 40 years these people are in their eighties if they're even still alive.

I don't think he necessarily means the OG Reagan Democrats but rather the demographic- white people, typically male, without a college education and work in manufacturing or trade jobs.

In that case, they're literally the Republican base, plus or minus religion.

[WD]

Hot Take: Reagan Democrats are voting for Biden.

[OSR stands with Israel]

It's been 40 years these people are in their eighties if they're even still alive.

I don't think he necessarily means the OG Reagan Democrats but rather the demographic- white people, typically male, without a college education and work in manufacturing or trade jobs.

Outside the south calling Reagan Democrats that demographic was ridiculous if you look at the county by county maps




Literally Reagan won PA cause of his strength in the Philli suburbs and Mondale strong performance in Western PA is why he did better in PA than NY lol

[Alben Barkley]

It's been 40 years these people are in their eighties if they're even still alive.

I don't think he necessarily means the OG Reagan Democrats but rather the demographic- white people, typically male, without a college education and work in manufacturing or trade jobs.

Outside the south calling Reagan Democrats that demographic was ridiculous if you look at the county by county maps




Literally Reagan won PA cause of his strength in the Philli suburbs and Mondale strong performance in Western PA is why he did better in PA than NY lol

Suburbanites were not Democrats in the first place though. The term "Reagan Democrats" was coined to describe traditional Democratic voters who more or less fit that description yet were swayed to vote for Reagan. Obviously not ALL of that demographic voted for Reagan. But more than typical for a Republican at the time.

[OSR stands with Israel]

It's been 40 years these people are in their eighties if they're even still alive.

I don't think he necessarily means the OG Reagan Democrats but rather the demographic- white people, typically male, without a college education and work in manufacturing or trade jobs.

Outside the south calling Reagan Democrats that demographic was ridiculous if you look at the county by county maps




Literally Reagan won PA cause of his strength in the Philli suburbs and Mondale strong performance in Western PA is why he did better in PA than NY lol

Suburbanites were not Democrats in the first place though. The term "Reagan Democrats" was coined to describe traditional Democratic voters who more or less fit that description yet were swayed to vote for Reagan. Obviously not ALL of that demographic voted for Reagan. But more than typical for a Republican at the time.

Even then Reagan did worse in Western PA than Nixon did in 68!





The suburbs actually trended Republican in the 80s


https://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/politics/ecbig/schnsub.htm

Illinois is a case in point. In 1960 Chicago cast 35 percent of the Illinois presidential vote. With a little help from Richard J. Daley's machine, the city voted 63 percent Democratic that year. In 1988 Chicago's vote was down to 23 percent of the Illinois total. With no apparent help from the Daley machine, the city voted 69 percent Democratic.

At the same time, the suburban vote outside Chicago became slightly more Republican, moving from 60 percent for Nixon in 1960 to 62 percent for Bush in 1988. The number of voters in the suburbs grew enormously, however. The suburbs accounted for 26 percent of the Illinois vote in 1960--a quarter less than Chicago. They cast 38 percent of the Illinois vote in 1988--two thirds more than Chicago.

[Alcibiades]

It's been 40 years these people are in their eighties if they're even still alive.

I don't think he necessarily means the OG Reagan Democrats but rather the demographic- white people, typically male, without a college education and work in manufacturing or trade jobs.

Outside the south calling Reagan Democrats that demographic was ridiculous if you look at the county by county maps




Literally Reagan won PA cause of his strength in the Philli suburbs and Mondale strong performance in Western PA is why he did better in PA than NY lol

Suburbanites were not Democrats in the first place though. The term "Reagan Democrats" was coined to describe traditional Democratic voters who more or less fit that description yet were swayed to vote for Reagan. Obviously not ALL of that demographic voted for Reagan. But more than typical for a Republican at the time.

Even then Reagan did worse in Western PA than Nixon did in 68!





The suburbs actually trended Republican in the 80s


https://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/politics/ecbig/schnsub.htm

Illinois is a case in point. In 1960 Chicago cast 35 percent of the Illinois presidential vote. With a little help from Richard J. Daley's machine, the city voted 63 percent Democratic that year. In 1988 Chicago's vote was down to 23 percent of the Illinois total. With no apparent help from the Daley machine, the city voted 69 percent Democratic.

At the same time, the suburban vote outside Chicago became slightly more Republican, moving from 60 percent for Nixon in 1960 to 62 percent for Bush in 1988. The number of voters in the suburbs grew enormously, however. The suburbs accounted for 26 percent of the Illinois vote in 1960--a quarter less than Chicago. They cast 38 percent of the Illinois vote in 1988--two thirds more than Chicago.

Reagan did very poorly in Appalachia, which western PA can be considered an extension of. I agree that it is very lazy to paint the WWC as being universally “Reagan Democrats”. In fact the actual working class was undoubtedly Reagan’s weakest group. The Reagan Democrats, rather, were more lower middle class suburbanites who were still fairly blue collar culturally but perhaps having a little too high income to be truly working class. The quintessential Reagan Democrat county is Macomb, which unlike Western PA, voted for Obama. It will probably be fairly close this time, but I reckon Trump might edge out the victory.

[W]

"Reagan Democrats" are mostly dead, and those still around don't identify with that voting bloc. As for my set of early Silent Generation grandparents who were raised Dems in Chicago and probably vaguely fit the "Reagan Democrats" demographic they essentially became Republicans from then out, but one died in 2014 and the other the month before 2016 supporting Trump. So take of that whatever you will but as an identifiable voting bloc, they absolutely do not exist.

[Suburbia]

Biden probably gets 4/10.

They are in their eighties now, they are probably dead, but the WWC non-college vote is leaning Trump, but Biden probably gets 4/10.

[Battista Minola 1616]

Reagan Democrats have never been a thing. Or at least, the 20% or so of Democrats who voted Reagan in 1984 were not all White people in manufacturing or trade jobs without a college degree. Probably most were not.

Anyway, "Reagan Democrats" are now mostly in a cemetery in Warren or Sterling Heights, just as "the Reagan Republican base" is now in a cemetery in Irvine or Huntington Beach.

[lfromnj]

Reagan Democrats have never been a thing. Or at least, the 20% or so of Democrats who voted Reagan in 1984 were not all White people in manufacturing or trade jobs without a college degree. Probably most were not.

Anyway, "Reagan Democrats" are now mostly in a cemetery in Warren or Sterling Heights, just as "the Reagan Republican base" is now in a cemetery in Irvine or Huntington Beach.

My favorite part of Reagan Democrats are people who think SW PA were reagan democrats.

[Battista Minola 1616]

Reagan Democrats have never been a thing. Or at least, the 20% or so of Democrats who voted Reagan in 1984 were not all White people in manufacturing or trade jobs without a college degree. Probably most were not.

Anyway, "Reagan Democrats" are now mostly in a cemetery in Warren or Sterling Heights, just as "the Reagan Republican base" is now in a cemetery in Irvine or Huntington Beach.

My favorite part of Reagan Democrats are people who think SW PA was reagan democrats.

HAHAHAHAHA

The crazy part is Reagan won in Lackawanna County but lost badly in Southwest Pennsylvania.

[The Mikado]

The graveyards.

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

The very youngest of the Reagan Democrats would still be adults in the blue collar workforce in 1984. That puts the very young end at 55-60 years old. We'll say 60.

So, a cohort of white, mostly male, working class voters aged 60 and up.

Trump will win them easily.

[lfromnj]

Reagan Democrats have never been a thing. Or at least, the 20% or so of Democrats who voted Reagan in 1984 were not all White people in manufacturing or trade jobs without a college degree. Probably most were not.

Anyway, "Reagan Democrats" are now mostly in a cemetery in Warren or Sterling Heights, just as "the Reagan Republican base" is now in a cemetery in Irvine or Huntington Beach.

My favorite part of Reagan Democrats are people who think SW PA was reagan democrats.

HAHAHAHAHA

The crazy part is Reagan won in Lackawanna County but lost badly in Southwest Pennsylvania.

Obama 2012 was the best performance for any Democrat in the past century in Lackawanna besides LBJ.

[Battista Minola 1616]

Reagan Democrats have never been a thing. Or at least, the 20% or so of Democrats who voted Reagan in 1984 were not all White people in manufacturing or trade jobs without a college degree. Probably most were not.

Anyway, "Reagan Democrats" are now mostly in a cemetery in Warren or Sterling Heights, just as "the Reagan Republican base" is now in a cemetery in Irvine or Huntington Beach.

My favorite part of Reagan Democrats are people who think SW PA was reagan democrats.

HAHAHAHAHA

The crazy part is Reagan won in Lackawanna County but lost badly in Southwest Pennsylvania.

Obama 2012 was the best performance for any Democrat in the past century in Lackawanna besides LBJ.

This must only mean that the Scranton Joe effect is REAL!!!
Guys, Lackawanna County 2020: Biden >60%

(I'm joking)

[Figueira]

It's been 40 years these people are in their eighties if they're even still alive.

I don't think he necessarily means the OG Reagan Democrats but rather the demographic- white people, typically male, without a college education and work in manufacturing or trade jobs.

Then why not just say "white male working-class people"? No one uses the phrase "Reagan Democrat" to mean that.

[Mexican Wolf]

I don't know if my parents would fall into this category or not: they were both in their 20s for both of Reagan's elections and both voted for Reagan twice, but haven't voted for any Republican candidate since then. They both sat out 1988, but have voted for the Democrat since 1992.

They're both planning to vote for Biden this year.