So, just real quick...
Can we just pause for a minute to consider the possibility that there are people in this country who vote based on things other than self-interest?
The idea of a poor Republican seems to be an oxymoron for a lot of people. Since the election results came out, I've seen a lot of postings by Democrats and other liberals expressing frustration and sheer bewilderment at the notion that many poor (usually white) Americans tend to vote Republican. The question they all pose is, "Why do these people consistently vote against their own best interest??"
It's not an altogether unreasonable question, but it does make a huge assumption - namely, that people do and SHOULD vote based solely (or at least mostly) on what is in their personal best interest. And to be clear, when they say "best interest", they mean from a financial standpoint (otherwise why bother singling out the poor?).
Some have offered the suggestion that the poor haven't been properly educated as to which party is really "on their side". Maybe they have been bamboozled by white Republican leaders into actually thinking that going red will make their lives easier and more affordable. I feel like I shouldn't even have to explain why this is a far-fetched idea. These people are poor, not clueless. You don't have to be highly educated to know the stereotype that Democrats love poor people and Republicans love rich people, however off-base that may be. It's far more likely that these stereotypes are the ONLY things they've ever heard about either party, and far less likely that they have only ever encountered the opposite idea.
What baffles me is that some of the same people who accuse Republicans of only caring about money can't seem to fathom the idea of people caring about anything other than exactly that when going to the polls.
Give the poor Republicans some credit, people!
Believe it or not, some people (yes, even poor ones) vote based on principles and ideals. You may not like or understand these principles or ideals, but I sure hope we can all at least appreciate the concept of voting based on what you think is right, even if it doesn't make life easier for you personally - even if it actually makes it HARDER.
In my humble opinion, poor people who vote according to their consciences regardless of self-interest are brave, not misguided, and ought to be admired, not patronized.
Hats off to anyone - no matter which party you voted for - who did so because you thought it was the right choice, not because you thought it would make your life easier or cheaper.
*Note: Obviously, the "right" choice and the "easy" choice aren't always mutually exclusive. Sometimes the choice you believe is right also happens to be the easy one. In which case, hooray!
