Birds on the Brain

Mitt Romney’s identity as a rich, white, heterosexual man is integral to his political brand. It also explains much of his appeal for conservative voters. This is especially crucial given that since the 1960s, the GOP has effectively become a de facto white political party. The Republican Party’s base consists of white “working class” men, rural and Southern white voters, those without college educations, Christian Evangelicals and Dominionists, older voters, and the rich. By contrast, the Democratic Party base consists of women, people of color, younger voters, the college educated “creative” and professional classes, as well as the working classes and poor.