There are problem middle American states for any Democrat. George Packer at The New Yorker has a fine piece set in Ohio that explains much about the white working class. ‘The golden key to political power in America,’ this self-identified category makes up a whopping 45% of all whites.
One Ohio voter made herself plain as a carpark in a mall. While Barbie Snodgrass thinks “McCain is going to be just like Bush the next eight years,” she’s not exactly keen on Obama. On his plans to cut taxes: “How many people do you know who make two hundred and fifty thousand dollars?” On his plan to expand health care: “It scares the heck out of me. If the employers are going to cover more, we’re going to get less in our raises.”
The margin of error in her life was so slim, Snodgrass felt, that any attempt to improve lives with ambitious new programs could only end up harming her. “You’re one week away from (a) losing your job, or (b) not having a paycheck.”
Near the end (you may want to print it out — it comes to nine A4 sheets) is this little grace note:
At the door of a trailer, Price knocked, then knocked again. Finally, the screen door opened a few inches. A white-haired, white-skinned ghost of an old woman identified herself as Betty.
“If the election was held today, have you decided who you’ll vote for?”
“ ’bama.”
