strategy and research | August 25, 2008
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Going into the Democratic convention, Barack Obama remains a candidate with unique strengths and unique challenges. He has yet to close the deal with many white, working-class voters who normally vote Democratic. Winning back these Democratic defectors and Reagan Democrats will be a key goal for Obama in his quest for the presidency.
A new report from GQR and Democracy Corps returns to Macomb County, Michigan, the place where Stan Greenberg first identified Reagan Democrats and their importance in 1985. Based on six focus groups and two surveys, this report takes an in-depth look at the Regan Democrats and Democratic defectors of Macomb to understand why they are currently holding back from Obama and what can be done to bring them back into the fold by November.
Macomb County is indeed home to the Reagan Democrats whose defection helped crash the national Democratic Party after the 1960s and whose partial return since Bill Clinton has made the county a battleground and enabled Democrats to carry Michigan in the last four elections. This year, Macomb – 90 percent white, half Catholic, 40 percent union families, one third over 60 and with Barack Obama underperforming among its Democrats – is certain to play a key role in the presidential drama. The media will follow the presidential candidates who will no doubt troop down to Macomb County Community College in Warren, Michigan to show why they deserve the support of the Reagan Democrats.
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