by Ted Sherman

Created on: May 04, 2008

If Mrs. Clinton's appeal to the blue collar voters was bad before, the recent news that she and Bill made $109 million dollars (at least that's what they've reported) in the past seven years, isn't going to make the weekly-paycheck, working stiffs of America any more inclined to vote for her. While Hillary Clinton's standing with the middle class isn't quite as bad as that of Barack Obama, she's certainly not a shoo-in favorite with them. Obama, who started out this year as the certain winner of the Democratic nomination, has made several serious blunders. First, there was his 20-year association with the white-hating, God-damn-America nutcase preacher of his family church.

Then, during the Pennsylvania primary fight, Senator Obama lost what little support he had among those white workers with red necks and blue collars when he said "small-town residents are bitter about their lives, and turn for solace to religion and guns". He obviously meant all those angry white guys who love beer, hunting and NASCAR. With several more state primary fights just ahead before the Democratic Convention chooses a candidate, Hillary can hope to boost her appeal to those same bitter blue collar voters if Obama will make more such blunders.

Hillary Clinton's uphill battle for the hearts, minds and votes of working-class Americans, especially males, will continue to be a tough one. She already has the overwhelming support of white women. For instance, in those Pennsylvania preliminaries, her percentage among white women was 59 to Obama's 41. Although in Pennsylvania cities with large black populations, including Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, Obama scored 90 percent with both male and female black voters, he still lost the state primary by a narrow margin. Hillary's chances went from dim to at least as bright as a 60-watt bulb.

Many men view Mrs. Clinton with their historic die-hard, male-dominance attitudes and fear that she can't be an effective President. Blue collar men, especially those who've served in the military and/or have family members now serving, are disturbed by an image of Hillary, or any other woman, being Commander in Chief when that hypothetical three a.m. phone call comes in to the White House. They figure a guy, even young, inexperienced Barack Obama could handle any emergency. And certainly, old Navy fighter pilot John McCain would be the best of the three, by far.

There's always the specter of Bill Clinton lurking behind Hillary as she campaigns. While many blue collar men could hold a secret admiration for Bill's catting around while President, they may consider Hillary a weak person for putting up with Bill's blatant misbehavior. It could follow that if she accepted being cheated on by Bill, how can she be strong enough to deal with the many problems and forceful men of the world, both domestic and foreign?

Another disturbing line of thought among blue collar voters, who know all the songs about cheatin' hearts, concerning her run for the Presidency could be the question: Is Hillary trying to get back to the White House just to show her achy, heart-breaky man she can get there on her own?

Learn more about this author, Ted Sherman.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.