The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Living Poor, Voting Rich:
"…whether John Kerry's supporters are now celebrating or seeking asylum abroad, they should be feeling wretched about the millions of farmers, factory workers and waitresses who ended up voting - utterly against their own interests - for Republican candidates.
One of the Republican Party's major successes over the last few decades has been to persuade many of the working poor to vote for tax breaks for billionaires. Democrats are still effective on bread-and-butter issues like health care, but they come across in much of America as arrogant and out of touch the moment the discussion shifts to values.
'On values, they are really noncompetitive in the heartland,' noted Mike Johanns, a Republican who is governor of Nebraska. 'This kind of elitist, Eastern approach to the party is just devastating in the Midwest and Western states. It's very difficult for senatorial, Congressional and even local candidates to survive.'"
People weren't voting their moral values, but their moral blindspots. Fifty-eight million people said, “I don't want to know. I don't want to think.” They voted for the one who told them their problems would all go away.
Mr. Kristof is wrong. The problem is not, yuppification of the Democratic party. It isn't moral values. It's hard truth versus the lie that demands nothing of your heart or your mind. Lies which are costing lives and limbs, but no effort at all if you don't feel like volunteering.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/03/opinion/03kris.html
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