Scott Brown vs. Sarah Palin

Well sure, a Senate seat in heavily Democratic Massachusetts going to a Republican after being held by Ted Kennedy for decades is bigger news than the Vice Presidential nominee on last election's losing ticket finding new employment at a cable news station.

The only thing that keeps Palin as popular a topic as she is is a rather unhealthy hatred of her from some segments of the left in combination with an equally unhealthy level of adoration from some segments of the right.

Yeah, but how many were searching for the politician, and how many for the former continuity announcer for Grampian Television or the Scottish DJ or the Australian trampolinist or the Canadian scholar or the goalkeeper for Cheltenham Town?

Brown's win was very inspiring last night. I think Obama is accelerating a process that has been ongoing for decades -- the political realignment of lower and middle class whites from the Democrats to the Republicans.

This has already happened in the South and much of the midwest. But the Brown election shows this happening even in the northeast.

The fact that Obama, the Democratic President -- the self-styled party of the working man -- would go to Mass. and make fun of Brown's pickup truck is telling.

Old-school union liberals would never make that mistake. Upper-middle class whites have contempt and disdain for poorer, less educated whites. Whites who shop at Wal-mart, eat at Applebee's drive pick-up trucks, own guns, etc, etc. Upper-middle class whites feel pity for dumb/poor minorities, but they feel hatred for dumb/poor whites -- and they especially hate middles class whites with low class cultural tastes, those whites have no excuse for sucking so much.

The core of the Democrats in Mass. used to be drunk, barely educated, Catholic, working class, union ethnic whites -- sticking it to the rich bastard WASPs. And now the Dem leadership hates those people. The Dems have taken over the educated upper-middle class, while holding onto the working class white base --- but these groups hate each other and it takes a very skilled politician (like a Bill Clinton) to hold onto both groups.

Educated whites want to look down on somebody, it's human nature. They've been trained that it's racist to look down on minorities, so they focus their derision on their fellow whites. You can't have contempt for a man on Monday, and ask for his vote on Tuesday.

'Sarah Palin' was and is an indication of nothing but McCain's compulsion to take unnecessary chances. (like trying to fly under power lines).

Kevin -

Old-school union liberals would never make that mistake. Upper-middle class whites have contempt and disdain for poorer, less educated whites. Whites who shop at Wal-mart, eat at Applebee's drive pick-up trucks, own guns, etc, etc. Upper-middle class whites feel pity for dumb/poor minorities, but they feel hatred for dumb/poor whites -- and they especially hate middles class whites with low class cultural tastes, those whites have no excuse for sucking so much.
The core of the Democrats in Mass. used to be drunk, barely educated, Catholic, working class, union ethnic whites -- sticking it to the rich bastard WASPs.

As a formerly poor white person (raised by a single mother) who has educated and worked my way out of poverty, I am amazed at the level to which you have managed to viciously stereotype both my former socio-economic group, and my current one.

What's even more amazing is the spirit of crass opportunism in which you do it. You more or less openly hope that the "drunk, barely educated, 'Catholic' (are you sure you didn't mean to say 'Irish'), working class..." whites whom you so transparently despise, although they fight your wars (however unnecessary those wars may be), will stupidly vote for a destructive right wing agenda, out of mindless resentment.

Oh, I know, I know. You're "describing how middle class whites see working class whites". Right.

Unfortunately for you, there are simple explanations for Coakley's loss that don't rely on such crude stereotypes -

Tendency to vote for the out of power party during a recession, bad candidate, unappealing health care bill, and the opportunity cost to the Democrats of their failure to do anything they campaigned on.

Take a deep breath harold before you get too outraged, harold.

A thick skin is mandatory when browsing comments in the HBD-osphere.

On topic- good for Brown, now it looks like I don't have to worry about that insanely irresponsible health care bill passing. It truly is darkest before dawn. After such an effective campaign, it is suprising to see Obama floundering so much. I thought he'd be a stronger leader.

Lighten up, Harold. I come from an Irish Catholic union Dem. family. A huge family with relatives up and down the income scale -- including drunk, barely educated cousins. So spare me your silly outrage and lighten up. What I'm describing is exactly what I've seen in my own family.

My older relatives are middle class at best and are old-school union Dems. They support the Dems cause the Dems support the working man and the little guy. And they'll believe that to the day they die, whether or not it's true anymore.

The younger generation is where you see a split. One group has done very well. Got good educations. Entered the upper-middle NPR class. They *love* Obama. They campaigned for him. They take politics very personally. They don't go to mass anymore, but they do donate to the Sierra club.

Another group has not done well. They attended the big State U at best, community college or just high school in other cases. They've struggled. And they, increasingly, are angry at Democrats, are angry at Obama. They like Glenn Beck. They are angry about affirmative action. One cousin managed to get a government job, but gets passed over because he's white.

They shop at wal-mart and buy shoes on discount -- while my NPR-class relatives bring their latest MacBook to show off at reunions, with pictures of their latest foreign vacation taken on their iPhone.

You can ignore the trend if you want, but many pollsters have verified what I see in my own family. My poorer, less educated, less successful white relatives honestly believe that the Democrat leadership is run by people who hate and look down on them .. who actively work to harm them, their families, and their economic prospects.

And I know the NPR-class well, a class I'm surrounded by on a daily basis, and yes they do have contempt for my poor relatives. The only foreign country my poor relatives have visited is Canada -- except for the ones who joined the Marines. My rich relatives wouldn't dream of joining the military -- in their mind it's something only stupid people with no prospects do.

I hope that helps educate you Harold, in case you are interested in how your fellow citizens actually feel, but stick to your ignorant moral preening if that's what works for you.