To Lead the White Working Class

Yesterday we looked at the Seven Habits of the Working Class, as tabulated by Henry Olsen. Olsen got his info from Patrick Muttart, "former chief of staff to Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper."

The seven habits included: Hope for the future, Fear of the present, Pride in their lives, Anger at being disrespected, Belief in public order, Patriotism, and Fear of rapid change.

I wrote that conservatives differs with the white working class on two of those factors: Fear of the present, and fear of rapid change. Conservatives tend to be competent people that expect to come out all right in the future, but the white working class understands that it is economically marginal; that is why the white working class has, sensibly, voted for a big government safety net.

If conservatives want to get the support of the white working class we have to demonstrate that we have concrete, practical plans to provide a social safety net that is better than the government safety net provided by big government. That may not be hard to do in the near future because liberals have spent all the money and the welfare state will have to renege on its promises. It's a Fram oil filter problem. Do we renege now, or do we renege later?

Now let's look at another factor: Anger at being disrespected. Let's look at Olsen's take on that:

This is the flip side of their pride. Working-class voters are very cognizant of their status in American life. They rarely occupy executive positions in their jobs and are consumers rather than producers of ideas. They feel keenly this relative lack of control over important features of their lives, and resent being ordered about as if they were merely pawns in someone else’s grand plan. They particularly dislike having their lives belittled as unsophisticated or inferior to the lives of educated or wealthy folk.

Attention, liberals and President "Bitter Clingers" Obama! Yep, when liberals go around talking about "facts and science and argument" and people not thinking clearly when they are scared, the white working class is liable to ask "are you talking to me, boss?" There couldn't be a clearer demonstration of President Obama's little problem with the voters. It's the liberal presumption that liberals are more intelligent than ordinary people and that the most intelligent should rule.

OK, so President Obama and the liberal Democrats are impossibly patronizing and elitist. But what about conservatives and Republicans?

I have two words for you: Sarah Palin.

Say what you like about Sarah Palin (and liberals certainly have--thanks, liberals) but Sarah Palin is a successful politician whose shtick is pitch-perfect for the white working class.

If the white working class is now up for grabs, and the Democratic Party is hopelessly elitist and condescending, which conservative politician would be the perfect foil for 2012? Which conservative politician would be most likely to hammer out a platform that speaks volumes to the white working class?

OK, put it another way. Which politician will infuriate the liberals and provoke them into saying snobby and mean-spirited things that will speak volumes to the white working class and uncommitted moderates in general?

Yep. Sarah Palin.