by G.K. Dickey

Created on: May 07, 2008

Sen. Barack Obama is reshaping the political landscape by stitching together a constituency that has taken on the feel of a revolutionary third-party movement. By attracting new voters from across the spectrum he is destined to become the Democrat's nominee and go on to win the presidency.

A vital part of Obama's coalition, whom he calls "Obamacans", includes the working class.

Exit polls throughout the primaries and caucuses have clearly shown that Sen. Hillary Clinton has been more successful than Obama in courting blue-collar voters. Nonetheless, it is not as if the working class has totally abandoned Obama. His focus on realistic economic issues (such as relegating Clinton's gas-tax holiday proposal to political pandering), is not lost on the working class, and his support is growing. He failed to win Indiana by two percentage points but he did capture 35 percent of that state's blue-collar vote.

Indiana exit polling also revealed that Sen. Clinton beat Obama by only four points among those making less than $50,000. When voters were asked which candidate could most likely improve the economy, Obama tied with Clinton.

Working class voters, sometimes known as "Reagan Democrats," have long been critical to the success of the Democratic Party. They represent workers who do not have a college degree, sometimes belong to a union, and are generally considered religious. President Bush, as Ronald Reagan had in the 1980s, won the presidency by convincing more than 40 percent of the historically blue-collar Democrats to vote Republican.

The blue-collar vote, however important, is just one segment of the electorate that candidates woo. There is the black vote, the white vote, the gray vote, and the green vote; the Hispanic vote, the religious vote, and the youth vote. Obama's most compelling achievement in this campaign is the clear and convincing manner in which he has coalesced a unique broad base, creating an entire new paradigm in U.S. politics.

"This election is not just about blue-collar, low-income white voters," writes Donna Brazile, a political strategist and commentator, "This election is about each and every one of us who wants a better life, a safe and secure country and competent leaders who represent our values and are accountable to us, the American people . . . The primaries are a numbers game based on winning delegates, not picking apart the Democratic coalition and who is appealing to whom."

Sen. Obama's success in the primaries and caucuses throughout

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>