Hint to Dems: Those “Blue Collars” Live in Mobile Homes
In the past week, voters have had the opportunity to see the Democratic candidates for president pandering to the blue-collar vote. Hillary chased her shot of whiskey with a beer, and Obama threw a few frames. Provided that you are satisfied with symbolism, then this establishes their bona fides. But what if you want more? What if you’d actually like to hear the voices of working class people, and not just the ones who still have $20 an hour jobs.
If one had gone further to seek out actual neighborhoods full of just such a group — working class voters? A mobile home park, perhaps in a county stricken by the migration of jobs to textile mills in other countries, would have been an excellent place to visit.
Let me offer a few questions that a concerned candidate might ask to just such a blue collar person.
- What kind of guarantee do you have that you will be entitled to remain on your lot beyond the next month?
- Do you have town water? How many families are sharing that septic tank with you? Why didn’t the state Department of Transportation extend roads into the park?
- What interest rate are you paying on your home?
- If you tried to move into a Section 8 apartment, how long would the waiting list be?
- Does your state have a right-of-first refusal law in the event that the park owner decided to close your park?
- What’s the resale on your home? Is it more than what you owe on your loan?
- How many homes in the park are abandoned, and are any of them now full of meth labs? Do your kids play near the empty ones?
- Has the park owner raised rents lately?
- Does the local municipality extend public transportation out to your park?
Those are just a few ideas that come to my mind. Imagine if one of the candidates went and visited a mobile home park? I don’t think it has happened for several elections. The closest would be the reference by the James Carville character in Primary Colors.
Manufactured housing is home to more than 8 percent of Americans. In North Carolina, the portion of residents in this housing stock is twice the national rate. Yet we have no significant attention paid to this issue by the candidates of the parting that claims, however symbolically, to represent the “blue-collar” voter.
This is a good example of a park in crisis in Florida. Seniors being kicked out of their homes to make way for a city redevelopment.
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Great post. I too yearn for a more substantive campaign than we typically get. Here are some things I would like to know:
– How would the candidate perform in a crisis. Do they panic and follow the initial public outcry or do they look deeper.
– How do they gather information? Do they solicit divergent opinions?
– How intellectually curious is the candidate. Does the candidate read widely or ask for a 2 paragraph summary from a staffer from which he will make a decision.
– Does the candidate think long term or short term. I for one have had enough of short term fixes.
– Is the candidate a deal maker? LBJ was, Nixon was and they accomplished a lot. Carter wasn’t very good at the deal and he had troubles.
You get the idea.
Yes. That’s a good point. I once asked Rod Paige, the former Secretary of Education, what he was reading. We were a group of photographers and media, waiting for a news conference to begin. He was angry to be asked and said that he regularly read management books.