Question: Why are so many poor (rural) whites Republican?

I can understand why rich, upper class whites would vote Republican, but what do poor whites get out of supporting that party?

What European peasants get when they support their Monarchy; they get to keep the country no matter what.

Because they shoot animals on the weekends and belong to brainless fundamentalist religions.

You betcha.

Most of them are just racist. In this day and age, the only color you should be concerned about is green. They're obviously too stupid or uneducated to realize that the party you vote for doesn't benefit you the most when it comes to your pockets. Time to throw that religion shit out of the window....

Simply put: it's because upper-crust republicans and rural republicans both laud the idea of Norman Rockwell's vision of American life. Even if neither side are able to adhere to it themselves. In the meantime they are also both equally suspicious of social change.

There's another side to the Republican party that isn't as aristocratic and blue-blooded. There's that side that's all about blue collar factory workers, Nickelback records blaring out of the Ford F-150, traditional "Americana" and Jesus. That's what attracts the rural Republicans I think.

I dunno.

Gun rights?

Abortion?

Live and let live attitude, as opposed to a know-it-all social worker deciding your life?

Sense of independence and self-reliance?

Pride, and a resistance to playing the "victim"?

Maybe because they don't want to be willing sheep led to slaughter like their urban counterparts.......

Not a rural white Republican, but I think the answer is easy. Traditionally, Democrats are NOT the party that helps the poor. The Democrats don't do squat to help the poor aside from their poorly run programs. The Republicans have definitely lost their way no doubt, but of the two parties, they still are the better choice if you are poor and want to better yourself. The Democrats just shout hatred for the rich and taxing them to death, but raising taxes on the rich doesn't help me get any better and it doesn't help you either.

So the answer to why so many poor rural whites are Republicans is simple, well, there are so many reasons, it's hard to list them all. They aren't selfish? They are for true equal rights for everyone? They don't live in population dense areas and have to think for themselves instead of following a herd mentality? They don't want government running their lives? They aren't impressed with some suit who utters Bob The Builder catchphrases? They don't thrive on judgmentalismh or willful ignorance? So many good reason to be a Republican and not a Democrat. Yeah, the Republicans suck lately too, but compared to the Democrats, they are still better.

I could ask the same questions from everybody who is a Democrat, but I already know the answers cause they always tell me.

stonestatic wrote:Pride, and a resistance to playing the "victim"?

I shouldn't do this, but weeping over Obama's election as President, then making stories up about his foreign birth, "socialism" and nitpicking on non-events such as him killing a fly on national television is exactly "resistance to playing a victim." Neither is complaining about how immigrants are stealing your job, and that public health care will pay for illegal immigrants' hospital fees and not yours. As you said, "resistance to playing the victim."

Another funny thing I find in rural folk, Republican or otherwise, is that Monsanto actually screws over the farmers. Who backs Monsanto?

Oh, and I can't resist myself here, but Al Franken's pro-litigation, anti-rape law, was almost blocked by Republican Senators from the heartland. If I hear the archaic phrase "value voters," I will think of this.

And to answer the question, religion. Nixon also factors into this Republican/rural thing, but you know...

^^^^Well, they didn't make up the Obama foreign birth thing. If somebody made it up, it was his Nana. But I don't think too many Repubs care about that anymore. There are better things to want the guy out for.

If Al Franken wrote a law, it probably sucked and saying it helps people doesn't change that.

Thinking about the question again, why do rural folks vote Republican? Cause it's the sensible decision 98% of the time in modern America.

Forgiveness_Man wrote:^^^^Well, they didn't make up the Obama foreign birth thing. If somebody made it up, it was his Nana. But I don't think too many Repubs care about that anymore. There are better things to want the guy out for.

His mother was an American citizen. Pretty much makes him one too. Obama was born in Hawaii which IS a US state? You didn't know that? What is wrong with you?

If Al Franken wrote a law, it probably sucked and saying it helps people doesn't change that.

Thinking about the question again, why do rural folks vote Republican? Cause it's the sensible decision 98% of the time in modern America.

LOL, you just love being a big ol walking contradiction don't you? Didn't you just get your rocks off by complaining that the Democrats only want to give out free money and handouts to people? If that's the case, what's the sensible reason for a poor person NOT to vote for the party that likes to give out handouts?

Nystyle709 wrote:

LOL, you just love being a big ol walking contradiction don't you? Didn't you just get your rocks off by complaining that the Democrats only want to give out free money and handouts to people? If that's the case, what's the sensible reason for a poor person NOT to vote for the party that likes to give out handouts?

I didn't say he wasn't born in Hawaii. What I said was that somebody needs to tell his paternal grandma that cause she seems convinced she witnessed his birth in Kenya. Maybe she's senile. But my point was that she's made the claim he was born in Kenya. I didn't say he was. I frankly don't care where he was born or whether he's a citizen or not cause I got better things to grill O over. As for you, I didn't say anything you claim I did. What's wrong with YOU?

That wasn't a contradiction. Some poor people like to WORK for what they have(novel concept). Some poor people don't want the government controlling their lives. They want to get better cause they earned it; not cause Obama mailed them a check. So I am not the walking contradiction(and thinking people always see that).