Although things have been improving steadily since Super Tuesday, Obama has had a lot of trouble getting support for the so-called "lunchpail" demographic he claims to be looking out for. One of the big questions of the early primary season was whether his support could expand beyond college students, rich white "latte liberals" and African-Americans.
It's been a hard slog for us fancy coffee devotees. Last time around, we braved the dirty hippies to attend big Howard Dean rallies. I recall one drum circle heavy afternoon in Alexandria, getting inspired by the Great Liberal Hope while munching on Pirate's Booty and drinking Frappuccinos. Somehow, our choice of drink became a problem for some:
And in the time it took to yelp, it was over. We had to settle for Kerry. Sure, he probably knew the difference between Ethiopian Yergacheffe and Kenya AA, but he wasn't sufficiently lifestyle-affirming. It's like a loft without the exposed brick - how do you get excited about that?
Before Dean, there was Bill Bradley. The former Knick practically had "liberal arts professor" stamped on his head. He wrote sober tomes and looked like he could be the tallest guy at the farmer's market. His campaign never really gained traction and we ended up with Al Gore, who wouldn't be trendy for several more years. It's like Portland in 1995.
This year, the Prius Progressives won. I think I'll celebrate with a latte - venti, skim, triple. That's $4.35 well-spent.
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