It is all well and good to mine the thoughts of elite pundits on the “historic” and “inspiring” prospect of either a Clinton or Obama presidency. However, nothing beats talking to regular voters in a swing state like Ohio, the people who really decide elections. This piece from the Wall Street Journal is a helpful reminder that those Reagan Democrats may not be entranced with either of the Democratic prospects. Focusing on the frank opinions of working-class male voters the Journal includes this observation:

“I think if we nominate one of these two, we are talking about McCain as president,” says Bob Rodkey, a firefighter who doesn’t like either candidate but plans to vote for Sen. Clinton in the primary. “I talk to a lot of my Democratic friends and they are going to cross over in November or not vote at all. We don’t have a viable candidate. Neither of them is one of us.”

It may not be politically correct, but many of these voters are not about to cast a vote for Clinton (“For a lot of blue-collar guys over 40, Hillary Clinton is a poster child for everything about the women’s movement that they don’t like — their wife going back to work, their daughters rebelling, the rise of women in the workplace.”) Obama may be no more appealing to this segment of the electorate (“Those here who dislike Sen. Obama tend to criticize what they call his empty rhetoric, his lack of experience and the fear that he would favor blacks and other minorities.”) These guys are simply not going to swoon over Obama’s high soaring rhetoric, no matter how original. It therefore is not hard to conclude that John McCain, a war hero with a tough-guy persona, will be an easier sell for these, potentially decisive voters.