USA Today: Democrats now represent most of the country’s richest districts
posted at 9:24 pm on October 14, 2009 by Allahpundit
I’m reasonably sure this is going to change dramatically after ObamaCare passes, but let’s enjoy the class-warrior irony while it lasts.
The Democratic-controlled House is now an unusual combination of the richest and poorest districts, the best and least educated, and the best and the worst insured. The analysis found that Democrats have attracted educated, affluent whites who had tended previously to vote Republican.
Democrats now represent 57% of the 4.8 million households that had incomes of $200,000 or more in 2008. In 2005, Republicans represented 55% of those affluent households.
“Democrats have made enormous gains in affluent, educated suburban districts,” says Warren Glimpse, founder of Proximity, a firm that analyzes demographics. “What’s not clear is whether this reflects a profound change or a temporary blip.”
Megan McArdle peers into her crystal ball and sees … a cloudy future:
I think it is more likely is that this thing passes, and fails spectacularly. There are too many moving parts, and if any of them breaks, the whole thing rapidly starts to spin out of control and eat a gigantic hole in the deficit. If it does break, I think that Democrats keep control of Congress just long enough to explain why they keep having to enact whopping new tax increases every few years. Republicans don’t need to improve their message. They just have to wait for Democrats to recover their reputation as tax and spend politicians who woefully underpredict the cost of everything they propose.
It’s pathetic that the GOP’s losing successful entrepreneurs to the left, needless to say, but presumably next year’s reorientation will straighten them out. Meanwhile, in the eternal swing state, Specter’s re-election numbers are “near fatal” according to one pollster, although I suspect that has more to do with his weaseliness than his fondness for government expansion. Rasmussen’s latest temperature-taking of likely voters: Toomey 45, Specter 40.
Blowback
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SHOCKING!!!!!!
alexraye on October 14, 2009 at 9:26 PM
USA Today: Democrats now represent most of the country’s
richest districtscapitalist-hating capitalistsFIFY
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on October 14, 2009 at 9:28 PM
I hope these rich people get skinned…let em get the results of their vote…hope the democRATs bankrupt them.
right4life on October 14, 2009 at 9:28 PM
yep.
i know many of these ‘man on the street’ semi-wealthy types that thought voting ‘for a black guy’ was cool, and that they were ‘just tired of bush’
funny what perennial 14% (yes im serious) unemployment will do to america in 2012
battleoflepanto1571 on October 14, 2009 at 9:28 PM
I think you’re being way too optimistic…
right4life on October 14, 2009 at 9:29 PM
I still love hearing from friends that the Dems are the party of the rich. Please.
Manhattan, Beacon Hill, The North Shore (Chicago), San Fran, Silicon Valley, and everyone who lives within in 10 miles of Pacific Ocean in Cali. Yeah those places are the bastions of the evil white male GOP person.
Lance Murdock on October 14, 2009 at 9:29 PM
WIND FARMS NOW!
WIND FARMS NOW!
ON CAPE COD!
ON CAPE COD!
seejanemom on October 14, 2009 at 9:30 PM
And the WSJ replaces USA Today as the top selling newspaper in the US…
d1carter on October 14, 2009 at 9:32 PM
So rich people do want to pay more taxes? I mean that is what you get with democrats…
deidre on October 14, 2009 at 9:35 PM
dont be so sure, under Socialism the Rich stay Rich, the Middle Class become Lower Class.
jp on October 14, 2009 at 9:35 PM
Not surprising at all. In class warfare terminology, we have a lot of nouveau riche in the country. (Always have, come to think of it.) They were too young to remember what it was like. That is precisely why liberals perennially have the hearts of the young, but conservatives have the minds of the old. Nothing focuses the mind like a bit of personal loss.
TubbyHubby on October 14, 2009 at 9:35 PM
They won’t be rich much longer.
txag92 on October 14, 2009 at 9:36 PM
…..Ol’ Teddy is turning in his grave. The worms of Arlington are all now enrolled in AA.
HornetSting on October 14, 2009 at 9:36 PM
Are these the successful entrepreneurs, or their spoiled-brat kids that the GOP lost?
Sekhmet on October 14, 2009 at 9:36 PM
the ny times talked about this in 1007 on the politics of the AMT patch. To get rid of it would benefit the blue areas of the map more then the red.
rob verdi on October 14, 2009 at 9:37 PM
No surprise here. At a state level the Donkeys during the past several Presidential elections have done the best in states with the smallest middle clases, ie lots of rich and poor people. See California, New York, etc. The rich vote Donkey because of social issues and they don’t really care if their tax rates go up a few percentage points, the type of people who shop at Whole Foods and drive Volvos.
MichaelJ68 on October 14, 2009 at 9:38 PM
the truly rich, aren’t concerned with Income taxes because most of their income comes from Tax Exempt Bonds and other Tax Shelters
jp on October 14, 2009 at 9:38 PM
We should have let the banks, the car companies, and the government fail…
All those who caused the problem are either are still in power, or are now working for the Administration in control of all the money that there is to print.
They are not fools, they have families themselves, and can read the writing on the wall…
If you were a Republican doing your job on Wall Street, doing business with Fanny and Freddie with the thumbs up from the Government, and it blows up in your face do to the policies of the Government, and the only way out is to sell your soul and become a gay porn star…
… well then, at least you still get your bonus.
Seven Percent Solution on October 14, 2009 at 9:41 PM
Successful entrepeneurs like ACORN. Money stolen from us and redistributed to the do-nothings. Eight billion dollars can create a lot of millionaires.
fogw on October 14, 2009 at 9:42 PM
Is that by,
DESIGN or ACCIDENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
canopfor on October 14, 2009 at 9:42 PM
And in the meantime those of us stuck in the middle suffer. Somebody needs to tell the Republicans that standing by and letting the Dems screw us over isn’t a winning strategy either. I am going to look for politicians who will fight for me. If the Republicans think they can just cash in on my misery then, as my dad used to say, “they got another think coming”.
Just A Grunt on October 14, 2009 at 9:42 PM
But are they representing-representing them?
Ronnie on October 14, 2009 at 9:43 PM
Why do the democrats hate the
richthemselves?ICBM on October 14, 2009 at 9:45 PM
rich, white, party
V15J on October 14, 2009 at 9:45 PM
So then,this makes some Liberals,in that group,
Extremely Despicable Dirty Rotten Filthy Greedy Rich!!
canopfor on October 14, 2009 at 9:48 PM
I agree that many of these young small business owners voted for Obama. I do not think that they can stay suppoerting the Dems and these ridiculous policies. They just thought Obama was cool.
ORconservative on October 14, 2009 at 9:48 PM
They thought they were being chic, trendy, intelligent and generational.
Stand well back to avoid the flying shrapnel and gore as finally their heads begin to explode and they are hoisted on their own petards.
Justice. Real, honest-to-goodness justice.
Yoop on October 14, 2009 at 9:50 PM
I do not think the rich whites are “entrepreneurs” except for a few silicon valley types. These people went to college and post-graduate work got fancy degrees and got brainwashed at Harvard, MIT and Berkeley. Many of work in non-competitive sectors like law, medicine, and academia.
MichaelJ68 on October 14, 2009 at 9:51 PM
Wait a tic,the Iranians are busy in the enrichment process,
and those clever,sneaky,and ever-resourceful Liberals are
also,in the enrichment business!!
Sumpin ain’t right!!!!!!!
canopfor on October 14, 2009 at 9:52 PM
the Left/MSM went out of their way branding the GOP as the “Uncool” and evil party. these young entreprenuers, watch Jon Stewart and company.
You can’t simply state you are a republican under those type of peer pressure influences, it was too ‘uncool’. There is a social Stigma to being a “Republican”
jp on October 14, 2009 at 9:52 PM
Justice. Real, honest-to-goodness justice.
Yoop on October 14, 2009 at 9:50 PM
Yoop: I love the smell of tar in the morning,along with
pitchforks,and the odour of lit torchs:)
canopfor on October 14, 2009 at 9:54 PM
Yes, and they’re all in the “helping industries” like Michelle Obama was, helping herself to other people’s money.
RedRedRice on October 14, 2009 at 9:55 PM
You can’t simply state you are a republican under those type of peer pressure influences, it was too ‘uncool’. There is a social Stigma to being a “Republican”
jp on October 14, 2009 at 9:52 PM
jp: The Elites and Elitism are also on their way out!
Rumour has it,there the driving force of the *New World
Order,so,their time is coming to an end,I hope!!:)
*Thats if the NWO actually exists:)
canopfor on October 14, 2009 at 9:58 PM
Successful entrepeneurs like ACORN. Money stolen from us and redistributed to the do-nothings. Eight billion dollars can create a lot of millionaires.
fogw on October 14, 2009 at 9:42 PM
fogw: I wonder if ACORN has any off-shore accounts,if so,has
Obama made an exception clause for ACORN!!:)
canopfor on October 14, 2009 at 10:01 PM
Obama Socialism takes care of the rich while giving money to the non-working poor.
Phil Byler on October 14, 2009 at 10:03 PM
This actually makes sense. Republicans, for lack of a better party, are now the only party representing the increasingly endangered middle class in this country.
The poor who have been brainwashed into thinking that they cannot get a leg up will always vote for the handouts. The new rich, who for the last couple of generations have been programmed at one of the ‘acceptable’ elite universities, vote demo to relieve their consciences. For many of them, a few more taxes won’t make any discernable difference in their lifestyles.
Its like affirmative action; never hurt elite whites who can get by on their ‘connections’ or legacies. It only hurts working class whites, so the upper crust white liberals have not problem supporting it . . .
The Republicans need to take up the mantle and defend the middle class.
Firefly_76 on October 14, 2009 at 10:10 PM
The Forgotten Man is getting screwed over again.
juliesa on October 14, 2009 at 10:12 PM
Reason? Syndicalism.
Time to clean these treasonous f***s out of the country.
daesleeper on October 14, 2009 at 10:14 PM
Unfortunately, personality and mental disorders don’t sort themselves out that simply. White guilt is an extremely powerful force that has been abused beyond any reason, by people of very limited intellect. This is just the 60′s alliance, all over agin (but taken to the highest levels of power). This will end the same way the 60′s coalition ended. Badly and violently. Take the end of the 60′s, multiply it by 10000, and you start to get an inkling for what’s in store.
progressoverpeace on October 14, 2009 at 10:16 PM
The indoctrination in higher education is paying off its dividends
tommylotto on October 14, 2009 at 10:17 PM
This is not the only conundrum upon the left. In these urban liberal enclaves the rich reside next to the poor. In San Francisco for example million dollar homes are blocks away from the ghetto. How much taxation can liberals take? Democrats subsidize the poor and soak the rich well the definition of rich is going to fall on liberals like a hammer. Combine with soaring crime rates to come and what’s a good Berkely edicated liberal to do? Take the high crime and taxes to adhere to the orthodoxy? Somethings got to give…
Theworldisnotenough on October 14, 2009 at 10:18 PM
Where do you think the other seven states are?
fogw on October 14, 2009 at 10:29 PM
Are they standing in line waiting to do their fair share or are they planting off shore just as fast as they can?
Cindy Munford on October 14, 2009 at 10:30 PM
Only the rich can afford the taxes these jackasses are heaping upon the American people (with zero results) and the “poor” are where they always are, sitting on their asses and waiting for a Democrat to show up at the door with a sack of gold.
NoDonkey on October 14, 2009 at 10:31 PM
Where do you think the other seven states are?
fogw on October 14, 2009 at 10:29 PM
fogw: UnfreagginBelievable! Crooks!:)
canopfor on October 14, 2009 at 10:36 PM
It makes sense. Democrats are the party of big government. If you’re poor and pay little or no taxes, you want big government. If you’re very rich and can afford to pay almost any tax rate, big government doesn’t effect you.
PackerBronco on October 14, 2009 at 10:38 PM
Again, a function of tuning out the right for the Republicans. The richest areas are also the most socially liberal. But the rich people voted Republican because their main concern was their own money. The Republicans governed and spent like Democrats so the rich people either didn’t show up or only voted on social issues since fiscal ones were off the table.
HINT to Republicans: No matter how liberal a rich person is socially unless they are trust fund babies they care more about their money than choice in abortion and “gay marriage” passing. Stop spending their money and you’ll get their votes. Even George Soros would throw gays under the bus to get legislation passed that will up his portfolio.
Rocks on October 14, 2009 at 10:40 PM
It makes perfect sense to me now. Living in a city full of rich liberals (Austin), I realize that liberalism is a form of therapy. Feel guilty about having all that money? Slap an Obama sticker on your car to show everyone you care. The country might go into the toilet, but you’ll sleep better at night knowing you did your part to promote hope ‘n’ change…that is until your profits and trust fund dry up and you find yourself back in the middle class.
Erich66 on October 14, 2009 at 10:58 PM
There’s a certain irony in that!
PrincipledPilgrim on October 14, 2009 at 11:00 PM
Of course, the really rich can afford to be liberal in public and still hire tax lawyers to find their way around taking the full hit on April 15, and of course, the really rich will be the ones who’ll be able to afford to either pay outside the ObamaCare program for decent medical treatment or take “medical vacations” to places where they can get the proper care outside the government system.
jon1979 on October 14, 2009 at 11:06 PM
Party of the Rich, well that explains a lot.
Dr Evil on October 14, 2009 at 11:10 PM
Of course they do, they stole the money from everyone else.
ray on October 14, 2009 at 11:13 PM
The attraction of the Democrat politics is that it makes people “feel good” by “doing good”. Of course, this is cheap and instant.
As soon as they vote for a Democrat, they feel as if they’ve done something wonderful for some poor group of victims. They are not spending their own money and they don’t have to work at anything. They are instant successes as “wonderful caring people.”
Plastic saints.
CrazyGene on October 14, 2009 at 11:21 PM
Democrats. Party of the rich and short-sighted.
Basilsbest on October 14, 2009 at 11:45 PM
Of course the other part of being rich and educated is that kind of detached and insulated perspective on everyday life that provides the real foundation of liberalism. The idea that the world should be run by “The Best and the Brightest” is pretty easy to carry off if you don’t really have to ride the same bus to work with the rest of us, and you also have an abiding faith in the notion that you and your friends are firmly established as charter members of the ruling group.
There are very good reasons why one should never confuse education with intelligence, intelligence with wisdom, or success with virtue.
Lew on October 14, 2009 at 11:48 PM
This is been the goal. This is how it is in Europe. Crush the middle class between the rich and poor. You make more people poor and they are reliable votes. The rich will either vote with you out of guilt or not have enough to beat out all the poor people.
Read about the destruction of the middle class in Europe if you have any doubts.
lorien1973 on October 14, 2009 at 11:54 PM
Proof positive that America is truly forked.
Dave R. on October 15, 2009 at 12:00 AM
Many of the rich are post Christian and turned off by the social conservatives. They don’t want to be associated with those retrograde social cons so they vote against their economic self-interest so they can go to all the cool parties.
DerKrieger on October 15, 2009 at 12:26 AM
Under fascism, the rich will stay rich, while the government creates a permanent dependent class of po’ folks.
Dhuka on October 15, 2009 at 2:05 AM
CrazyGene on October 14, 2009 at 11:21 PM
BINGO!
When you’re rich you can afford to be liberal.
Then pat yourself on your back and tell yourself what a great person you are.
Goodale on October 15, 2009 at 2:10 AM
When I was in Switzerland for business at a lunch with people from the home office in Oftringen, I explained to them that all the heads of the banks on Wall Street were Democrats not Republicans and that the Dems were the party of the rich and the Republicans were the party of the little guy.
You cannot believe how different their view of the USA is from reality.
They probably get all their news from the BBC and CNN.
Not many young kids around either. Very low birthrates.
Sapwolf on October 15, 2009 at 4:01 AM
The suckers and the suckees.
Terrye on October 15, 2009 at 7:12 AM
Rich people are accustomed to get whatever they want.
ACCESS TO LEGAL ABORTION is what turns the rich on to Democrats. They can already buy anything they want, but they want to make sure it stays legal.
Women with money generally use abortion exactly the same way they use a weight-loss plan. I know this is a provocative statement, but it is absolutely true.
jay12 on October 15, 2009 at 7:17 AM
I talk to young businessmen all day, and lecture at UNCW Cameron School of Business.
The young businessmen, now and coming up, are liberal. They have very little knowledge of how the gov. impacts their business. They consider all things government to be political.
It is just the way things have been taught from the earliest age…government is politics. Economics is voodoo.
Teachers in public school do not have the knowledge to connect the dots between politics and economics.
The old adage of “It’s the economy stupid” is as true today as when Carville said it, and it applies historically.
Consequentially, kids grow up understanding that they just pass the cost of government onto their customers…and since every business has those government costs, it doesn’t put them at a disadvantage…not realizing the disadvantage to the nation.
Government has become a “tithe”, and they feel paying into the government is no different then supporting a Boy/Girl Scout troop, or church, or a shelter for abused women.
right2bright on October 15, 2009 at 8:08 AM
Government has become a “tithe”, and they feel paying into the government is no different
thenthan supporting a Boy/Girl Scout troop, or church, or a shelter for abused women.I used to send my children’s teachers’ notes back to them with corrections. I do so here. The quality of education has been declining for at least 50 years. The majority now don’t know the difference between less and fewer or then and than.
Basilsbest on October 15, 2009 at 8:36 AM
Or were successful Republican car dealers…
lovingmyUSA on October 15, 2009 at 10:05 AM
As an employer, why wouldn’t I want to pay my workers minimum wage so they can go get their own public option health care? My wages go down, my benefits costs vanish, I can stay rich because I have my loopholes the democrats thoughtfully are leaving in any bill.
Oh, yeah, then the workers are basically indentured servants, unable to make a living enough to improve their station in life and make a better life for their children. Stuck in a survival economy and constantly voting for whomever promises them a crumb or two more for free, while taking away truckloads of a better future.
The democrat vision of the US is the very rich deciding everything and the very poor, unthinkingly grateful, taking the crumbs from the table and thinking it a feast of free. The idea of an independently thinking middle class scares them both to no end.
MarkT on October 15, 2009 at 11:19 AM
I think a majority of the rich of Venezuela, fled. So either they go poor, or they flee. God only knows why people would willing volunteer their country, their fellow citizens, and their freedom to the likes of Obama! These are just sad, sad days.
capejasmine on October 15, 2009 at 12:31 PM