Why did George H.W. Bush lose in 1992?

[Alabama_Indy10]

What were the main reasons he lost in 1992?

[darklordoftech]

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

[dw93]

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

This, but I would also add Conservative alienation due to Souter's appointment. There was also Pat Buchanan's primary run from the right, voter fatigue after 12 years of Republican rule, and the fact that Bush ran a terrible campaign in 1992. He waited too long to start campaigning thinking the Gulf War alone would give him a victory, and he offered nothing with regards to what he wanted to do in a 2nd term. Bush also wasn't one to brag and thus didn't talk about the many foreign policy successes of his either.

And no, Perot DIDN'T cost Bush the election!!!!!!!!

[Free Bird]

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

And no, Perot DIDN'T cost Bush the election!!!!!!!!

No, but he certainly cost him Montana and Georgia at the very least. Maybe Tennessee and New Hampshire, too.

[dw93]

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

And no, Perot DIDN'T cost Bush the election!!!!!!!!

No, but he certainly cost him Montana and Georgia at the very least. Maybe Tennessee and New Hampshire, too.

Sure he may have cost Bush states (I agree on Montana and Georgia, not sure about Tennessee or New Hampshire), but costing him states is not the same as costing him the election. There are still Republicans to this day that think Perot cost Bush the election when the facts overwhelmingly say otherwise. Clinton was leading Bush by a double digit margin before Perot re entered. Once he did, it was Clinton's poll numbers, not Bush's that fell.

[RINO Tom]

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

Uh, what's your definition of "white collar" in this context?  I wouldn't say that "white collar" voters have been Democrats from 1992-2016...

[darklordoftech]

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

Uh, what's your definition of "white collar" in this context?  I wouldn't say that "white collar" voters have been Democrats from 1992-2016...

Lawyers, doctors, scientists

[TheElectoralBoobyPrize]

I agree with another thread that Bush did underperform slightly because the economy was GROWING (if slowly) and we were at peace. Was conservative opposition to Bush really that bad? Buchanan didn't win a single primary, and Bush got over 70% of the primary vote.

But this is one election where campaigns did make a big difference. And Clinton and Perot had a tendency to gang up on Bush.

[Lord Admirale]

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

Uh, what's your definition of "white collar" in this context?  I wouldn't say that "white collar" voters have been Democrats from 1992-2016...

Lawyers, doctors, scientists

That was more of the GOP lurching hard to the right socially with Gingrich and his "revolution", leading to the demise of Republican dominance in the suburbs.

[OSR stands with Israel]

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

Uh, what's your definition of "white collar" in this context?  I wouldn't say that "white collar" voters have been Democrats from 1992-2016...

Lawyers, doctors, scientists

White Collar can also mean Bankers , Managers , Financial Analysts as well

And according to this many types of Doctors were Republicans in 2015:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/06/03/why-your-flight-attendant-is-probably-a-democrat/?utm_term=.bed155277dbd

[RINO Tom]

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

Uh, what's your definition of "white collar" in this context?  I wouldn't say that "white collar" voters have been Democrats from 1992-2016...

Lawyers, doctors, scientists

Sounds like you're just talking about people you might know in New Jersey then ... Republican voting has been directly tied to a higher income in every election since then, including 2016.

[darklordoftech]

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

Uh, what's your definition of "white collar" in this context?  I wouldn't say that "white collar" voters have been Democrats from 1992-2016...

Lawyers, doctors, scientists

That was more of the GOP lurching hard to the right socially with Gingrich and his "revolution", leading to the demise of Republican dominance in the suburbs.

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

Uh, what's your definition of "white collar" in this context?  I wouldn't say that "white collar" voters have been Democrats from 1992-2016...

Lawyers, doctors, scientists

White Collar can also mean Bankers , Managers , Financial Analysts as well

And according to this many types of Doctors were Republicans in 2015:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/06/03/why-your-flight-attendant-is-probably-a-democrat/?utm_term=.bed155277dbd

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

Uh, what's your definition of "white collar" in this context?  I wouldn't say that "white collar" voters have been Democrats from 1992-2016...

Lawyers, doctors, scientists

Sounds like you're just talking about people you might know in New Jersey then ... Republican voting has been directly tied to a higher income in every election since then, including 2016.

Everyone in my town has a graduate school degree. They think a vote for the GOP is a vote for guns, homophobia, the government controlling women's bodies, and war. They also consider tobacco and alcohol to be worse than heroin. There's no bars or music, and police yell at any teenagers who they see outside at night.

[RINO Tom]

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

Uh, what's your definition of "white collar" in this context?  I wouldn't say that "white collar" voters have been Democrats from 1992-2016...

Lawyers, doctors, scientists

That was more of the GOP lurching hard to the right socially with Gingrich and his "revolution", leading to the demise of Republican dominance in the suburbs.

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

Uh, what's your definition of "white collar" in this context?  I wouldn't say that "white collar" voters have been Democrats from 1992-2016...

Lawyers, doctors, scientists

White Collar can also mean Bankers , Managers , Financial Analysts as well

And according to this many types of Doctors were Republicans in 2015:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/06/03/why-your-flight-attendant-is-probably-a-democrat/?utm_term=.bed155277dbd

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

Uh, what's your definition of "white collar" in this context?  I wouldn't say that "white collar" voters have been Democrats from 1992-2016...

Lawyers, doctors, scientists

Sounds like you're just talking about people you might know in New Jersey then ... Republican voting has been directly tied to a higher income in every election since then, including 2016.

Everyone in my town has a graduate school degree. They think a vote for the GOP is a vote for guns, homophobia, the government controlling women's bodies, and war. They also consider tobacco and alcohol to be worse than heroin. There's no bars or music, and police yell at any teenagers who they see outside at night.

Right, so a completely anecdotal piece from you about one town in one state in one region of the entire country?  I also find it highly unlikely that everyone in your entire town has a graduate degree, LMAO.

[darklordoftech]

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

Uh, what's your definition of "white collar" in this context?  I wouldn't say that "white collar" voters have been Democrats from 1992-2016...

Lawyers, doctors, scientists

That was more of the GOP lurching hard to the right socially with Gingrich and his "revolution", leading to the demise of Republican dominance in the suburbs.

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

Uh, what's your definition of "white collar" in this context?  I wouldn't say that "white collar" voters have been Democrats from 1992-2016...

Lawyers, doctors, scientists

White Collar can also mean Bankers , Managers , Financial Analysts as well

And according to this many types of Doctors were Republicans in 2015:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/06/03/why-your-flight-attendant-is-probably-a-democrat/?utm_term=.bed155277dbd

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

Uh, what's your definition of "white collar" in this context?  I wouldn't say that "white collar" voters have been Democrats from 1992-2016...

Lawyers, doctors, scientists

Sounds like you're just talking about people you might know in New Jersey then ... Republican voting has been directly tied to a higher income in every election since then, including 2016.

Everyone in my town has a graduate school degree. They think a vote for the GOP is a vote for guns, homophobia, the government controlling women's bodies, and war. They also consider tobacco and alcohol to be worse than heroin. There's no bars or music, and police yell at any teenagers who they see outside at night.

Right, so a completely anecdotal piece from you about one town in one state in one region of the entire country?  I also find it highly unlikely that everyone in your entire town has a graduate degree, LMAO.

I've seen and heard similar sentiments in surrounding towns, and I never said that all white-collar people people vote Democrat.

[RINO Tom]

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

Uh, what's your definition of "white collar" in this context?  I wouldn't say that "white collar" voters have been Democrats from 1992-2016...

Lawyers, doctors, scientists

That was more of the GOP lurching hard to the right socially with Gingrich and his "revolution", leading to the demise of Republican dominance in the suburbs.

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

Uh, what's your definition of "white collar" in this context?  I wouldn't say that "white collar" voters have been Democrats from 1992-2016...

Lawyers, doctors, scientists

White Collar can also mean Bankers , Managers , Financial Analysts as well

And according to this many types of Doctors were Republicans in 2015:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/06/03/why-your-flight-attendant-is-probably-a-democrat/?utm_term=.bed155277dbd

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

Uh, what's your definition of "white collar" in this context?  I wouldn't say that "white collar" voters have been Democrats from 1992-2016...

Lawyers, doctors, scientists

Sounds like you're just talking about people you might know in New Jersey then ... Republican voting has been directly tied to a higher income in every election since then, including 2016.

Everyone in my town has a graduate school degree. They think a vote for the GOP is a vote for guns, homophobia, the government controlling women's bodies, and war. They also consider tobacco and alcohol to be worse than heroin. There's no bars or music, and police yell at any teenagers who they see outside at night.

Right, so a completely anecdotal piece from you about one town in one state in one region of the entire country?  I also find it highly unlikely that everyone in your entire town has a graduate degree, LMAO.

I've seen and heard similar sentiments in surrounding towns, and I never said that all white-collar people people vote Democrat.

And that's still only in a very, very Democratic state.  I shouldn't have to explain why it's problematic to extrapolate these *sentiments* you're hearing into making a claim like, "a majority of white collar people have voted Democratic since 1992," especially when the top few income brackets have gone Republican in nearly every election since then.

[Lord Admirale]

Everyone in my town has a graduate school degree. They think a vote for the GOP is a vote for guns, homophobia, the government controlling women's bodies, and war. They also consider tobacco and alcohol to be worse than heroin. There's no bars or music, and police yell at any teenagers who they see outside at night.

Where's this lol

I live in Ridgewood, a very affluent town, and this doesn't match up that well. We've been a swing town (albeit Clinton and Murphy both hit 60% here for the first time since LBJ), so I assume you're from somewhere like...Montclair

[OSR stands with Israel]

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

Uh, what's your definition of "white collar" in this context?  I wouldn't say that "white collar" voters have been Democrats from 1992-2016...

Lawyers, doctors, scientists

That was more of the GOP lurching hard to the right socially with Gingrich and his "revolution", leading to the demise of Republican dominance in the suburbs.

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

Uh, what's your definition of "white collar" in this context?  I wouldn't say that "white collar" voters have been Democrats from 1992-2016...

Lawyers, doctors, scientists

White Collar can also mean Bankers , Managers , Financial Analysts as well

And according to this many types of Doctors were Republicans in 2015:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/06/03/why-your-flight-attendant-is-probably-a-democrat/?utm_term=.bed155277dbd

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

Uh, what's your definition of "white collar" in this context?  I wouldn't say that "white collar" voters have been Democrats from 1992-2016...

Lawyers, doctors, scientists

Sounds like you're just talking about people you might know in New Jersey then ... Republican voting has been directly tied to a higher income in every election since then, including 2016.

Everyone in my town has a graduate school degree. They think a vote for the GOP is a vote for guns, homophobia, the government controlling women's bodies, and war. They also consider tobacco and alcohol to be worse than heroin. There's no bars or music, and police yell at any teenagers who they see outside at night.

Right, so a completely anecdotal piece from you about one town in one state in one region of the entire country?  I also find it highly unlikely that everyone in your entire town has a graduate degree, LMAO.

I've seen and heard similar sentiments in surrounding towns, and I never said that all white-collar people people vote Democrat.

LOL so basically in the same state or same region.


Wealthier people by the way are still more likely to vote GOP than Democrats.

[darklordoftech]

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

Uh, what's your definition of "white collar" in this context?  I wouldn't say that "white collar" voters have been Democrats from 1992-2016...

Lawyers, doctors, scientists

That was more of the GOP lurching hard to the right socially with Gingrich and his "revolution", leading to the demise of Republican dominance in the suburbs.

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

Uh, what's your definition of "white collar" in this context?  I wouldn't say that "white collar" voters have been Democrats from 1992-2016...

Lawyers, doctors, scientists

White Collar can also mean Bankers , Managers , Financial Analysts as well

And according to this many types of Doctors were Republicans in 2015:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/06/03/why-your-flight-attendant-is-probably-a-democrat/?utm_term=.bed155277dbd

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

Uh, what's your definition of "white collar" in this context?  I wouldn't say that "white collar" voters have been Democrats from 1992-2016...

Lawyers, doctors, scientists

Sounds like you're just talking about people you might know in New Jersey then ... Republican voting has been directly tied to a higher income in every election since then, including 2016.

Everyone in my town has a graduate school degree. They think a vote for the GOP is a vote for guns, homophobia, the government controlling women's bodies, and war. They also consider tobacco and alcohol to be worse than heroin. There's no bars or music, and police yell at any teenagers who they see outside at night.

Right, so a completely anecdotal piece from you about one town in one state in one region of the entire country?  I also find it highly unlikely that everyone in your entire town has a graduate degree, LMAO.

I've seen and heard similar sentiments in surrounding towns, and I never said that all white-collar people people vote Democrat.

And that's still only in a very, very Democratic state.  I shouldn't have to explain why it's problematic to extrapolate these *sentiments* you're hearing into making a claim like, "a majority of white collar people have voted Democratic since 1992," especially when the top few income brackets have gone Republican in nearly every election since then.

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

Uh, what's your definition of "white collar" in this context?  I wouldn't say that "white collar" voters have been Democrats from 1992-2016...

Lawyers, doctors, scientists

That was more of the GOP lurching hard to the right socially with Gingrich and his "revolution", leading to the demise of Republican dominance in the suburbs.

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

Uh, what's your definition of "white collar" in this context?  I wouldn't say that "white collar" voters have been Democrats from 1992-2016...

Lawyers, doctors, scientists

White Collar can also mean Bankers , Managers , Financial Analysts as well

And according to this many types of Doctors were Republicans in 2015:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/06/03/why-your-flight-attendant-is-probably-a-democrat/?utm_term=.bed155277dbd

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

Uh, what's your definition of "white collar" in this context?  I wouldn't say that "white collar" voters have been Democrats from 1992-2016...

Lawyers, doctors, scientists

Sounds like you're just talking about people you might know in New Jersey then ... Republican voting has been directly tied to a higher income in every election since then, including 2016.

Everyone in my town has a graduate school degree. They think a vote for the GOP is a vote for guns, homophobia, the government controlling women's bodies, and war. They also consider tobacco and alcohol to be worse than heroin. There's no bars or music, and police yell at any teenagers who they see outside at night.

Right, so a completely anecdotal piece from you about one town in one state in one region of the entire country?  I also find it highly unlikely that everyone in your entire town has a graduate degree, LMAO.

I've seen and heard similar sentiments in surrounding towns, and I never said that all white-collar people people vote Democrat.

LOL so basically in the same state or same region.


Wealthier people by the way are still more likely to vote GOP than Democrats.

I didn't mean a majority. I just meant enough to make a difference in an election.

Everyone in my town has a graduate school degree. They think a vote for the GOP is a vote for guns, homophobia, the government controlling women's bodies, and war. They also consider tobacco and alcohol to be worse than heroin. There's no bars or music, and police yell at any teenagers who they see outside at night.

Where's this lol

I live in Ridgewood, a very affluent town, and this doesn't match up that well. We've been a swing town (albeit Clinton and Murphy both hit 60% here for the first time since LBJ), so I assume you're from somewhere like...Montclair

You are correct that Montclair is one of the surrounding towns I was referring to. I'm often in Montclair and I know lot of people who live in Montclair.

[Sadader]

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

+1 to that last poimt. HW was far too robotic and detached. Clinton really understood. The best example of from the townhall debate (I‘m sure most people remember this, but i’ll reiterate because it’ a great part of the campaign) - someone asked how the debt personally affected the candidates, so Perot started by saying that it caused him to leave business and enter politics, then Bush fumbled over the point that you don’t have to be hit by a recession to understand it, and talked about the impact on interest rates and the value of the dollar. But Bill knew that the voter was badically just talking about the economy, and talked about people he knew in Arkansas who had lost their jobs and their homes over the past few years, and managed to really relate to the voter.

[darklordoftech]

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

+1 to that last poimt. HW was far too robotic and detached. Clinton really understood. The best example of from the townhall debate (I‘m sure most people remember this, but i’ll reiterate because it’ a great part of the campaign) - someone asked how the debt personally affected the candidates, so Perot started by saying that it caused him to leave business and enter politics, then Bush fumbled over the point that you don’t have to be hit by a recession to understand it, and talked about the impact on interest rates and the value of the dollar. But Bill knew that the voter was badically just talking about the economy, and talked about people he knew in Arkansas who had lost their jobs and their homes over the past few years, and managed to really relate to the voter.

Indeed. Also, in the first debate, HW just said that legalizing marijuana "is not the answer" while Bill talked about how going to jail helped his brother get clean.

[Progressive Pessimist]

The recession, a different type of Democrat who somehow overcame the Atwater style attacks, and 12 years of Republican Presidents was probably too much for the national environment back in '92.

[All Along The Watchtower]

In no particular orer:

Formidable challenges from the Right and from "populists" (definitely Pat Buchanan in the primaries, arguably Ross Perot throughout the campaign) regarding anger over his breaking of the"No New Taxes" promise and perceived softness on confrontational Culture War issues compared to Reagan, an utter lack of domestic policy vision (the "vision" thing") in the midst of a terrible recession, a seemingly "out-of-touch" quasi-aristocratic focus on foreign diplomacy brought to you by the Ivy League Eastern Establishment, and favoring deficit reduction in the form of cutting spending on both defense and domestic social programs as well as raising taxes on working-class and middle-class workers (including some upper-middle class, white-collar types - ie. many in the Republican base) and unpopular free trade agreements (NAFTA was negotiated by Bush, not Clinton, FWIW), and having an utter lack of charisma or populist touch compared to Buchanan, Perot, or of course, Bill Clinton.

Plus, Bush was basically riding Reagan's coattails to begin with - he faced solid Democratic majorities in Congress throughout his term, and the Republican Party was increasingly driven by Newt Gingrich, Pat Buchanan, the Christian Coalition and Religious Right in general, and the rise of bomb-throwing shock jock types in talk radio (Rush Limbaugh being the most notable example here). And in the modern, post-Truman era (1952-onward), has a political party held the Presidency for more than two terms at any other time?

[Mr.Phips]

The recession. The loss of white-collar jobs caused by the recession resulted in white-collar voters becoming Democrats to this day, and the appointment of Clarence Thomas alienated socially liberal voters who had been Republicans for economic reasons, and him breaking his tax pledge depressed voter turnout. Clinton was also simply more charismatic than HW Bush. Clinton talked about how he could relate voters and had been through similar things.

And no, Perot DIDN'T cost Bush the election!!!!!!!!

No, but he certainly cost him Montana and Georgia at the very least. Maybe Tennessee and New Hampshire, too.

Sure he may have cost Bush states (I agree on Montana and Georgia, not sure about Tennessee or New Hampshire), but costing him states is not the same as costing him the election. There are still Republicans to this day that think Perot cost Bush the election when the facts overwhelmingly say otherwise. Clinton was leading Bush by a double digit margin before Perot re entered. Once he did, it was Clinton's poll numbers, not Bush's that fell.

Perot's presence on the ballot didn't cost Bush the election.  However, Perot constantly attacking Bush on the deficit and the economy for much of Spring 1992 (which pushed Bush's approval ratings down into the 30's), certainly had an impact.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

There's already been a Republican fatigue back in 1988. Dukakis had a comfortable lead until summer and if he'd been a better candidate, he'd have won. 

[America's Sweetheart ❤/𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕭𝖔𝖔𝖙𝖞 𝖂𝖆𝖗𝖗𝖎𝖔𝖗]

It's the economy, stupid.