Wal-Mart's perverse voter-registration drive may help Democrats

[warrens]

Snip

Wal-Mart's diversity data shows that the company's workforce, and in particular its vast army of sales associates, looks an awful lot like the Democratic base.

It is disproportionately African-American. African-Americans are about 11 percent of the American population and vote overwhelmingly for Democrats. According to this CNN exit poll, they went for Kerry by an 88-11 margin in 2004. But African-Americans constitute nearly 17 percent of Wal-Mart's employees and 18 percent of sales workers. Encouraging more middle- and lower-income African-Americans to vote in states like Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Mississippi would almost certainly be a net positive for Democratic candidates.

We know, as well, that women tend to vote disproportionately for Democrats. In 2004, according to CNN, women (and working women) voted for Kerry by a 51-48 margin. Women are substantially overrepresented in Wal-Mart's workforce. About 60 percent of all employees are women. And three-quarters of its sales workers are female—a higher proportion than at other retailers. All things being equal, more women voting will boost Democratic candidates.

SNIP

http://www.slate.com/id/2151043/?nav=tap3

[warrens]

1. Shameless kick

Since Wal-Mart employs about a million in the U.S., this could be interesting. Particularly in some of the rural districts with close races.

[DireStrike]

2. Wal-mart? More like LOL-mart, amirite?

I'd like to see how this registration drive goes, once it's finished.

[sinkingfeeling]

3. Yes, but Wal-Mart is going to be non-biased. I wonder if these people

will even be free to register as Democrats. And WM will be in full campaign mode to get GOP canidates into their stores. When Bush 41 was running, they had him speak at WM's Home Office...no such offer to Bill Clinton, who was the Governor of Arkansas at the time.