Posted by
The Oldtimer on Tuesday, September 12, 2006 8:38:06 AM
Having been in the construction business and having six sons still in the business, I know a little about the makeup of a workers life. In addition, I live and associate with workers and tradesmen of all types.
When one is out in the world breaking one's back in an attempt to stave off the wolves at the door, it is very difficult to pay attention to anything other than the task at hand. Most working people I encounter have little time or energy to devote to the study of world affairs or to the intricate subtleties of politics in general. They know little or nothing of bills before congress aside from the glossing over that they may hear on the evening news on TV. They don't know, and don't really care, unless it affects them on a personal level.
I have read that only about 35-50% of registered voters actually vote in any given election. I would venture to say that these same voters, regardless of party, are the same voters that turn out, election after election, and vote along party lines and the issues be damned. I would also say that the results of polls are determined by these same voters which is why polls can't be trusted. Sometimes, not often, but sometimes, there are voters who get mad enough to actually go to the polls and cast a ballot. But who are these voters? The ones that really make a difference when they decide to take the time and trouble to register their feelings?
I like to call those people "Horizon Voters." They cannot see beyond the horizon which is only 12 miles away, or so I'm told.
When a construction worker gets up in the morning and heads for work he probably stops to gas up his car or truck on the way and starts his day by being upset at the price of gas. Not a good way to start the day! He then arrives on the job and finds the boss pissed at the price of fuel for the machines that do the work. He then has to contend with the immigrant workers who don't speak english and have cut wages and eliminated most skilled labor from the worksite. It has been my experience that the only construction jobs left for native Americans are the plumbing, electrician, and heavy equipment operations. Everything else, such as roofing, framing, siding, masonry, curbing, landscaping, laboring, etc, is all being done by foreign labor.
These are some of the things that touch the American worker as he goes about his day. Most workers barely have time to glance at a newspaper let alone read it in depth. He is only concerned with the issues that affect him on a personal level, especially if those issues anger him.
It is the angry voter, the one who is mad enough, that makes a difference. These voters don't cast a ballot because they are pleased with their lot. They only vote their displeasure and their anger.
The "Horizon Voter" is MAD and will decide the up coming elections and it's not the war on terror or the situation in Iraq that have him upset. These are not on the horizon but just lurking in the background. It's all about Illegal Immigration and how it affects the average worker.
Most politicians will get their party's vote as usual but the outcome will be determined by the occasional voter, the ones who are mad enough to vote. Any politician who is in favor of amnesty or more immigration is on the road to nowhere.