So, the media seems to be harping occasionally on Barack Obama's difficulty in attracting the over 40 white male with a high school education or less - also known as "the blue collar workers", though manufacturing jobs aren't as plentiful these days and that term means less and less every day.

The reason the media thinks that Barack Obama has this problem is because these over 40 white males with a high school education or less view Obama as an "elitist." This is apparently not a problem for the old white guy, John McCain - who has 9 homes and is married to a woman worth an estimated $110 million. This isn't a problem for the getting old white woman, Hillary Clinton, who has spent the past several decades in the Governor's mansion, then the White House, and then her fairly sizable New York Estate.

Well, I can certainly see where the media would get their impression that Obama is the one that's out of touch. I mean, he has almost a third of the wealth of Clinton, who has nearly half the wealth of McCain.

Yeah, let's face it, when the media says "elitist", they aren't talking money or being out of touch with the common people. They are, sadly, talking about how intelligent someone sounds. Since Obama has a habit of making very intelligent speeches, he must be - horror of horrors - smarter than a blue collar worker. Wouldn't want that in a president, would we?

Unless ... could the media not be getting something?

Hmmm...let's see that demographic again...

White. Well, many of us are. That certainly doesn't mean anything.

Over 40. Now, that doesn't mean much. I mean, older people sometimes have some very old fashioned ideas about people. But I know as life presents more and more experiences and as people mix with different cultures and lifestyles that they become more open to different ideas.

High school education or less. Uh, well, certainly some of these folks still got to ... uh ...

Yeah, you couldn't get a better definition of the demographic that often becomes an entrenched racist.  The low paid worker that lives in fear that someone they believe should be lower on the social ladder than them is going to sweep in and take their job and destroy their life. Add to that a lack of education that would show them who they should be getting mad at when they lose their job, and you have the perfect racist.

Sure, not all of these guys are racists. But a lot of them are. More of them are, I would say, than any other demographic. Add "rural" to the description and the statistic liklihood that they're racists goes up.

The simple fact is that age and education levels are very likely indications of racism. The younger you are, or the more educated you are, the less likely you are to be racist.

...but, of course, then you'll be an elitist.