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You are here: Home / Past Elections / Election 2012 / Willard and the “Wal-Mart Moms”

Willard and the “Wal-Mart Moms”

by Anne Laurie|  November 2, 20114:22 pm| 28 Comments

This post is in: Election 2012, Romney of the Uncanny Valley

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(h/t commentor Anya)

This week’s shiny fad demographic, via Matt Viser at the Boston Globe‘s Political Intelligence:

A new survey indicates that Wal-Mart moms are conflicted heading into next year’s election, viewing President Obama in a harsh light but still having hope for him.
__
The survey, conducted by Republican pollster Neil Newhouse and Democratic pollster Margie Omero, was done on behalf of Wal-Mart, no doubt eager to further brand its store and the importance of its customer base.
__
Wal-Mart moms – defined as women with at least one child under 18 who shop at the store at least once a month — represent 27 percent of all registered women voters, meaning they are 14 percent of the overall electorate. They also are willing to be persuaded, indicating they could be a key swing vote in the upcoming elections. The women voted for Obama in 2008, but in November 2010 they backed Republicans, helping them win back the House majority…
__
Newhouse, who helped conduct the survey, is also the pollster for presidential hopeful Mitt Romney. He generally stayed away from making any predictions or talking about how the former Massachusetts governor might try to appeal to Wal-Mart moms.
__
“These voters are probably not the key Republican primary voters the Mitt Romney campaign are after right now,” Newhouse said. “But it does give an insight into the language that candidates should be using and the issues they should be addressing.”

Tragically for Neil Newhouse’s post-2012 resume, using the language of humans does not come easily to the man signing his paychecks. Also, the issues Romney needs to address while courting the GOP-primary-voter demographic (Talibangelicals, fReichtards, and Robber Barons) and the issues he “should be addressing” to appeal to those outside such rarified precincts are, shall we say, not easily brought into alignment. Convincing voters outside the diehard Twenty-Seven-Percenters that slashing the social safety net to give Pete Peterson and the Koch brothers more tax breaks should be prioritized over putting more Americans into jobs is not easy even for the most gifted of our modern politicians, and Willard Romney suffers under the additional handicap that he patently cares far less about those anonymous mopes at the grip’n’grins than he does about the corporations who are people to him.

Thus, Charlie Pierce’s schadenfreudelicious anticipation of “Mitt Romney’s Koch Brothers Speech Preview!“:

There’s nothing quite like the anticipation of a “major policy speech” from Mitt Romney, the darling of an ironclad one-quarter of his political party. Which former firmly held position on which issue will go overboard this time? How profoundly will he demonstrate that he doesn’t even remember how little he once knew about anything? How deeply will our boy bow and scrape? How hard will he tug his forelock? How well-tailored will be his sackcloth, how perfumed his ashes?…
__
This one looks like it’s going to be about the economy, given the sponsoring entity and the various corporate reptiles behind it…
__
At the moment, the only thing standing between Mitt Romney, and the Republican nomination that he clearly believes should be is by acclimation, is the fact that most of his party is divided between people who don’t like him, and people who want to run him over with a road grader. It is mostly the latter that will be in attendance on Friday. We will see, finally, if there’s a depth below which Mitt Romney, friend of thieves, cannot sink.

(That last sentence would be a journalistic flourish, of course. Mr. Pierce was a resident of our fine Commonwealth during Willard’s successful pursuit of the governorship, and his far less engaged stewardship of that office; he is therefore aware that there is no such unsinkable depth for the Man from the Uncanny Valley.)

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Previous Post: « Megan McArdle is Always Wrong™: Occupy Wall St./Income Inequality division
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Reader Interactions

28Comments

  1. 1.

    Legalize

    November 2, 2011 at 4:29 pm

    I can’t wait for the poll of Kroger-Target-Whole Foods-Fresh Market-Lowes, cat owning husbands.

  2. 2.

    Chyron HR

    November 2, 2011 at 4:32 pm

    Mitt Romney 2012–Because the only man who can beat Obama is the guy who lost to McCain! Presidential elections work like rock-paper-scissors, right?

  3. 3.

    The Moar You Know

    November 2, 2011 at 4:36 pm

    represent 27 percent of all registered women voters

    What the hell is up with this number?

  4. 4.

    El Cid

    November 2, 2011 at 4:36 pm

    WTF? Once a month makes someone a “Wal-Mart Mom”? What does it make a mom if she orders Domino’s Pizza once every two weeks? A Domino’s Den Mother? A Monaghan Monster?

  5. 5.

    Villago Delenda Est

    November 2, 2011 at 4:38 pm

    most of his party is divided between people who don’t like him, and people who want to run him over with a road grader.

    You know, while I love this sentence, I’m not sure a road grader would inflict enough pain on old OvenMitt to satisfy those who are in the “run him over with SOMETHING big and painful” demographic.

    I’m thinking perhaps a King Tiger or Stalin Tank. Without the rubber road pads.

  6. 6.

    MeDrewNotYou

    November 2, 2011 at 4:43 pm

    Semi-OT, but thank you, thank you, thank you Anne for turning me on to Charles Pierce. I just started reading him a couple of days ago and he’s already got a spot with BJ and Washington Monthly in my daily must-read rotation.

  7. 7.

    R-Jud

    November 2, 2011 at 4:43 pm

    Wal-Mart Moms
    Nascar Dads
    Filene’s Basement Fathers
    Whole Foods Whores
    Olive Garden Grandmas

    Hipster kickball team names, or media-anointed voter demographic? You make the call!

  8. 8.

    Hill Dweller

    November 2, 2011 at 4:45 pm

    You left out a sentence from the first paragraph of the excerpt:

    It truly is like that breathless moment under the Mexican circus tent right before they bring out the monkey who can suck his own dick.

  9. 9.

    MeDrewNotYou

    November 2, 2011 at 4:45 pm

    @The Moar You Know: 27% is the infamous Crazification Factor, initially proposed by John Rogers’s brilliant friend Tyrone. That post is perhaps the greatest and most incisive in blogging history.

    ETA- On rereading the comment, I think you already knew and are just stunned by the accuracy. Still, history lessons are always nice.

  10. 10.

    scav

    November 2, 2011 at 4:46 pm

    Wal-Mart moms &dmsash; defined as women with at least one child under 18 who shop at the store at least once a month—represent 27 percent of all registered women voters, meaning they are 14 percent of the overall electorate.

    Moreover, given that they can provide the additional information about what percentage they are of the larger populations, doesn’t it smell like they found the subset with the characteristics they wanted to talk about? Because who the fuck really designs a survey to capture the opinions of such an oddly defined and small portion of the populace?

  11. 11.

    scav

    November 2, 2011 at 4:47 pm

    @R-Jud: Filene’s Basement? Didn’t they just go out of business? Never heard of them, sam them at the Chitrib. . .

  12. 12.

    Villago Delenda Est

    November 2, 2011 at 4:50 pm

    @Hill Dweller:

    “Johnny Ola told me about this place!”

  13. 13.

    R-Jud

    November 2, 2011 at 4:52 pm

    @scav: Yes, which is why that particular demographic is so upset. Where will they get their Roberto Cavalli sunglasses and Spanx at 60% off retail now that Filene’s is no more? Can Mitt Romney bring their American dream back?

    R-Jud +2

  14. 14.

    Poopyman

    November 2, 2011 at 4:52 pm

    @MeDrewNotYou: Charley’s evidently had his afternoon coffee. On Scottie’s imagined response to Elizabeth Warren’s cash-cllecting trip to Tinseltown:

    “Liberals! Elitists! Hollywood sodomites! Look upon my barn coat, ye mighty, and despair!”

  15. 15.

    Poopyman

    November 2, 2011 at 4:54 pm

    @Poopyman: Sigh. Spelling fail compounded by editor fail.

  16. 16.

    Thoughtcrime

    November 2, 2011 at 4:55 pm

    @Hill Dweller:

    “Self-sucking-simian”

    New tag for any postings about the Mittser?

  17. 17.

    R-Jud

    November 2, 2011 at 4:57 pm

    @Thoughtcrime: “Simian” fits Perry better, IMHO. Mittens is just remarkably lifelike.

  18. 18.

    Thoughtcrime

    November 2, 2011 at 4:58 pm

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    “It ain’t the way I wanted it! I can handle things! I’m smart! Not like everybody says… like dumb… I’m smart and I want respect!”

  19. 19.

    The Moar You Know

    November 2, 2011 at 5:01 pm

    @MeDrewNotYou: Oh, I’m aware of all internet traditions. But the sheer frequency with which 27% shows up in any given statistical breakdown is something I’m starting to find positively unnerving.

  20. 20.

    ThresherK

    November 2, 2011 at 5:06 pm

    WalMart Moms?

    Hell, aren’t they preemptively suing the winner of 2012 for failing to keep his promises?

  21. 21.

    cmorenc

    November 2, 2011 at 6:01 pm

    @El Cid:

    What does it make a mom if she orders Domino’s Pizza once every two weeks?

    A: “A domineering woman, that’s what.
    :=]

  22. 22.

    Linda Featheringill

    November 2, 2011 at 6:01 pm

    the Republican nomination that he clearly believes should be his by acclimation

    Courtesy Free Online Dictionary:
    Acclimatization or acclimation is the process of an individual organism adjusting to a gradual change in its environment.

    Acclamation is an oral vote, especially an enthusiastic vote of approval taken without formal ballot.

    [You guys are a bad influence on me!]

  23. 23.

    Anya

    November 2, 2011 at 6:05 pm

    Walmart moms? Who comes up with these stupid made-up demographics.

  24. 24.

    TooManyJens

    November 2, 2011 at 6:25 pm

    @Linda Featheringill:

    Acclimatization or acclimation is the process of an individual organism adjusting to a gradual change in its environment.

    Isn’t that exactly what Mitt’s done, by adjusting his positions to be more in accord with the Tea Party insanity that has taken over his party?

  25. 25.

    Steve

    November 2, 2011 at 6:38 pm

    Mitt cannot carry Michigan without the invaluable Wal-Mart Wolverines demographic.

  26. 26.

    Cris (without an H)

    November 2, 2011 at 6:38 pm

    Wal-Mart moms – defined as women with at least one child under 18 who shop at the store at least once a month—

    That’s the stupidest fucking thing I’ve heard in, well, hours.

  27. 27.

    EIGRP

    November 2, 2011 at 9:39 pm

    Is a sackcloth what I think it is?

    Edit: Nope!

  28. 28.

    cpinva

    November 2, 2011 at 9:54 pm

    these would be the most easily manipulated 14% of the voting age population, possibly because they just aren’t very bright. they gave the house of representatives back to the same clowns who spent the better part of the past decade fucking the entire country (and a fair part of the rest of the world) up. yep, this is a bunch i want voting in 2012. not!

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