Why Poor Republicans Vote the Way They Do
By: Shelly Fagan
Tags: Elections, Republican Party, Life, Politics, Voting

Photo by Craig Whitehead on Unsplash

Why do poor and middle class Americans vote for Republican candidates against their own self-interests? It’s a question that has confounded the Left for decades.

Many wrongly assume that less-fortunate Republicans are single issue voters. Yet time and again, their promised reforms fail to materialize even when their party holds the White House, Senate and US House of Representatives. Despite no progress made on their pet issue, they cast their ballot for the GOP candidate in the next election.

It’s not that they are ignorant about their Party’s failure to make good on their promises. The Republican voters understand exactly what they are doing.

These GOP members don’t care about smaller government, fiscal responsibility, or even abortion. The “single issue" is a placeholder — an excuse they offer to conceal the real reason they cast their ballot for the candidate who is least likely to help them.

Why Someone Like Trump?

Democrats would be wise to understand the motivation for supporting a candidate like Donald Trump.

As millions of Americans lost their jobs to the pandemic, poor Americans voted for the candidate who promised to obstruct an extension of benefits while further lining the pockets of bloated corporations. To the rest of us, it didn’t make sense they supported the ruling elite over their own working class. They voted for the boot on their neck.

“I vote for more oppression,” they said.

Democrats wondered why these struggling and downright destitute Americans did not support the candidate who would provide a social safety net for them.

What’s the motivation?

When Biden talked about fairness and the great land of opportunity — the type of messages that play well to most of the nation and the world, he was not appealing to poor and middle-class Republicans. Trump screaming about locking up his enemies did.

The Left wondered how voters could ignore their own self-interest to support a bully ranting about his personal revenge while ignoring an economy in meltdown and the death of 250,000 Americans.

All along, Liberals have been asking the wrong question.

It’s not what poor and middle class Republicans were voting for, it’s who they were voting against.

“I vote for more oppression,” they said. “For the other guy.”

In the world of tribal politics, these GOP voters only win when their enemies lose.

It was not so important that Trump won re-election, or if they secured an opportunity to further their party’s agenda. All that mattered was making Joe Biden lose because Trump’s message resonated with his supporters innermost desire.

They didn’t necessarily object to the Democratic platform, and most don’t even know what it is, nor do they care.

Because voting was never about an agenda or what was best for America. It wasn’t even about what was best for them.

It was about making someone else lose.

This is why they became known as the “fuck your feelings" crowd — they relish in making the other guy suffer.

When Republicans adopted the slogan “Winning”, they were not referring to how they felt about their party. The party was making a statement about their number one priority.

What’s at stake

Make no mistake, the GOP voter is willing to sacrifice their self interest along with 250 years of this nation’s proud history in order to “own the libs.”

Nothing is off-limits to secure victory. Undermining the election process is acceptable. They will openly talk about a coup. Sedition is still on the table.

They would torch the constitution and hold a parade for the Russian military if it meant Biden loses, as does their enemies.

Evangelical Christians embrace Trump while refusing to support a devout Catholic candidate because ultimately even faith is second to revenge. Their God isn’t about love and forgiveness. It’s a networking club that promises to punish non-members for all eternity. And this is why they are flag-waving followers of the GOP.

These folks do not want everyone’s life to improve even if it means they won’t get ahead either.

This is why they support gutting education while hurting their own children.

They oppose reforms to healthcare because it also helps the other guy. This is why they support spending more on our military at the expense of every social program that would help them — because kicking ass is more important.

Once you understand the goal of the Republican voters is about punishing others, it all starts to make sense.