Why did Obama do better with the WWC (white working class)?

[BrewCityLiberal]

It still confuses me how Obama (a half-black man) did better with the WWC (especially in the Midwest) than post-Trump Democrats who are mostly white.

[Technocracy Timmy]

Because the rural/wwc/non college white/trailer park shift to the GOP has been a long time coming.

[|˶˙ᵕ˙ )ﾉﾞ]

Because the economy was bad. Thats all the voters care about. They dont care about nor notice anything else

[Beet]

Well for one thing Obama is from the Midwest. In 2004 he landslides Illinois with 70% including downstate. I know there are some around here who deny the home region effect, but just look at Jimmy Carter winning Mississippi in 1976 or Bill Clinton's performance in Louisiana. Incidentally until Barack Obamas election, no midwestern president had been elected since Gerry Ford who also did well in the Midwest.

2nd why did he do well with wwc throughout the north, well so did john Kerry, compared to al gore. The Clinton/gore wing of the Democrats are a bad fit for the northern wwc.

Third look who he's running against. A republican in the middle of the 2008 meltdown, then a Bain capital guy. Not exactly populist opponents.

[Del Tachi]

It doesn’t have anything to do with Obama, it has everything to do with Trump.  Trump forwent politician convention (from both parties) to speak directly to the anxieties, insecurities and biases of the “WWC”.  Clinton would have kept many more of these voters against a more “traditional” GOP nominee, like Rubio or Bush. 

[IceSpear]

McCain and Romney weren't racist enough for them. Trump gave them exactly what they wanted.

[Some of My Best Friends Are Gay]

McCain and Romney weren't racist enough for them. Trump gave them exactly what they wanted.

Uh, if that was the case then I highly doubt Republicans across the country who are more moderate than Trump would be doing just as well as he did with these voters. look at Mike DeWine in Ohio or Rick Scott in Florida for example.

I think a bigger part of this is that many ancestrally Democratic voters in Appalachia and the rust belt have died and been replaced by younger voters who no longer feel any connection to the Democratic Party.

[Suburbia]

See, unlike other Democratic candidates, Obama had a message. Both times in 2008 and 2012.

That's why he won Indiana in 2008. That is why he won the Midwest in 2008 and 2012.

[IceSpear]

McCain and Romney weren't racist enough for them. Trump gave them exactly what they wanted.

Uh, if that was the case then I highly doubt Republicans across the country who are more moderate than Trump would be doing just as well as he did with these voters. look at Mike DeWine in Ohio or Rick Scott in Florida for example.

I think a bigger part of this is that many ancestrally Democratic voters in Appalachia and the rust belt have died and been replaced by younger voters who no longer feel any connection to the Democratic Party.

Yes, Trump molded the Republican Party into his image and caused these people to become straight ticket R voters. And 99% of "moderate"/"traditional" Republicans march in lockstep with Trump anyway, so why wouldn't they vote for them?

[RINO Tom]

McCain and Romney weren't racist enough for them. Trump gave them exactly what they wanted.

Romney was SO insufficiently racist that they voted for a Black man!

[Sestak]

Also Obama was actually the anti-free trade candidate compared to McCain, not to mention the recession was ongoing and McCain is the status quo (which you don't want to be in times of economic strife)

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

Also Obama was actually the anti-free trade candidate compared to McCain, not to mention the recession was ongoing and McCain is the status quo (which you don't want to be in times of economic strife)

Obama needled Hillary over NAFTA in 2008, it was mostly just posturing though, Obama and Bill Clinton were similar on free trade as presidents.

[IceSpear]

McCain and Romney weren't racist enough for them. Trump gave them exactly what they wanted.

Romney was SO insufficiently racist that they voted for a Black man!

Unironically yes. Especially in 2008 because Bush was such an abject failure and destroyed the economy.

https://www.salon.com/2008/11/03/racists_for_obama/

There was no way the Republicans were going to win 2008 since it was literally a perfect storm against them. But I do believe 2012 was definitely winnable for them if they nominated Trump, or if Romney or someone else ran a more explicitly racist campaign.

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

McCain and Romney weren't racist enough for them. Trump gave them exactly what they wanted.

Romney was SO insufficiently racist that they voted for a Black man!

Maybe if Trump is insufficiently anti-Semitic they'll vote for Bernie Sanders!

[Adjective-Statement]

Obama was very Midwestern, used populist appeals, and ran against two unpopular candidates (the "moderates" people claim to want) connotated by voters with Wall Street. Elections are all about appearance, not fact.

[darklordoftech]

Obama was seen as more protectionist and less connected to Wall Street than McCain and Romney. Also, Romney opposed the auto bailouts.

[CEO Mindset]

not being hillary clinton or mitt romney

[Sumner 1868]

Still quite a lot of WWII Democrats even in 2008. I sometimes think the Republican swing in the senior vote between 2008-2012 was just the last New Dealers passing away.

[NEW JERSEY FOR MENENDEZ]

McCain and Romney weren't racist enough for them. Trump gave them exactly what they wanted.

Uh, if that was the case then I highly doubt Republicans across the country who are more moderate than Trump would be doing just as well as he did with these voters. look at Mike DeWine in Ohio or Rick Scott in Florida for example.

I think a bigger part of this is that many ancestrally Democratic voters in Appalachia and the rust belt have died and been replaced by younger voters who no longer feel any connection to the Democratic Party.

It’s not worth arguing with IceSpear. He thinks everyone who isn’t him is a racist and his takes are about 90% incorrect.

[darklordoftech]

Still quite a lot of WWII Democrats even in 2008. I sometimes think the Republican swing in the senior vote between 2008-2012 was just the last New Dealers passing away.

I feel like people will still be saying this in 2100.

[President Johnson]

McCain and Romney weren't racist enough for them. Trump gave them exactly what they wanted.

Because they're not racist enough they vote for a black man?

[Mr.Bakari-Sellers]

Dems had the EC college advantage with 266, VA changed from a confederate state to a multi racial state. Due to Y2K, college students were already, ready to vote Dem in CO, NV and VA.

Va elected Doug Wilder

[RINO Tom]

Still quite a lot of WWII Democrats even in 2008. I sometimes think the Republican swing in the senior vote between 2008-2012 was just the last New Dealers passing away.

I feel like people will still be saying this in 2100.

Odd way to feel.

[Bismarck]

I think it has more to do with the fact that Romney was seen as out of touch and McCain ran during the recession. Plus Trump made targeting these voters a top priority in a way past campaigns did not.

[darklordoftech]

Still quite a lot of WWII Democrats even in 2008. I sometimes think the Republican swing in the senior vote between 2008-2012 was just the last New Dealers passing away.

I feel like people will still be saying this in 2100.

Odd way to feel.

Have a sense of humor.