Faith drives the middle class

Michael Barone has an interesting article about why the middle classes would appear to vote against their economic self interests, and does a good job of voicing the reasons why.

Why Support the Tea Party?
Modest-income Americans vote for the national interest, not their self-interest 

What is missing in his assessment is the part faith plays in the life of most of the middle class.  Ordinary people of modest means who have a faith in a higher power are simply more content.  It's as simple as that.

We could be considered people of modest income, and yet in my opinion we live like a king and queen.  We have a lovely home on five beautiful acres with a roof that keeps the rain and snow off of us. We have big decks on both the front and back of the house, equipped with a gas grill and table and chairs for lounging about in the summer.  The kitchen counters aren't expensive granite, but they work just fine for chopping fresh veggies.  We have two functioning toilets, three sinks with running water, and all the electronics and gadgets we could possible want.

We choose not to spend our money on designer clothes, and are not impressed by people who do. We don't need boxes full of jewels, a private jet, or a yacht.  Beyond the basics of comfort, it becomes a matter of degree.  Will an expensive slate roof keep me any dryer than the ordinary shingle roof we presently have?  Will gold faucets squirt water into a sink better than my chrome ones do?

We don't hold any ill will toward people who have more than we do, and most the people I know feel the same way.  It would take a dissatisfied and unhappy person to vote against what was best for our nation in order to hopefully give themselves a bigger slice of the pie. I can vote to tax the so-called "rich" people until they have nothing left, but I'll still have a shingle roof and chrome faucets.

I don't know the hearts and minds of the teachers who are driving the incivility we're seeing in Wisconsin, but on the surface they appear to be people of more than modest means who crave even more.  And they don't care how they get it.  In their case, the taxing of others in order to fund their lives and get a larger slice of the pie seems perfectly reasonable to them.  The rest of us recognize that it is nothing more than redistribution of wealth.

You see, we don't believe we need a bigger slice of the pie.  Because when all is said and done, we're all going to end up the same.  Some of us, however, believe in life after granite counter tops and private jets.  We believe there is a God and our goal is to spend eternity with Him. 

As Mr. Barone said:

A government intertwined with the private sector inevitably picks winners and losers. It allows well-positioned insiders to game the system for private gain. It bails out the improvident and sticks those who made prudent decisions with the bill.

Modest-income Americans think this is wrong. They want it fixed more than they want a few more bucks in their paychecks.