The investor class

Pollster John Zogby has an interesting piece in Forbes about people who consider themselves to be "investors." Here are results from an online poll of 24,000 people:

59% of self-identified investors have household incomes below $100,000 and 44% don't have a college degree. Blue-collar workers make up 15% of the Investor Class, a number that becomes more impressive when you consider that the total percentage of blue collars in this online sample is only 21%. There is no significant difference on matters such as religion, whether they live in urban, suburban or rural areas, union membership, or even how often they shop at Wal-Mart. As for race, African-Americans and Hispanics combined make up 15% of the Investor Class, which isn't so far off their representation in the nation.... [T]he Investor Class is more likely than non-investors to:

• Say they are political conservatives (41% to 26%)
• Have voted for John McCain (57% to 39%)
• Believe they and their families can achieve the American dream (81% to 58%)
• Believe that affirmative action programs reward some at the expense of others (69% to 56%)

On the whole, Zogby found the "investor class" to be "more politically conservative and optimistic" than the general population. He concludes:

[W]hile Democrats may certainly be in the ascendancy after the 2008 election, there may still be an appeal down the road for the "ownership society." There is a significant pocket of Americans who are inclined toward conservative values based on how they see their world and from where they see their world: Namely, their investment portfolios, regardless of how big or small the investments may be.

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This post is used with permission of Sound Mind Investing, America's best-selling Christian financial newsletter. SMI, published by investment advisor Austin Pryor, has been Crown's primary investing resource for nearly 20 years. More than 14,000 families rely monthly on SMI's step-by-step investment advice. Visit Sound Mind Investing to learn more.

Comments

[allison patricia simpson]

this is unfortunate, I am an african american woman who is degreed:) and also a republican. I feels that it is unfortunate that many believe affirmative action "takes" away from the rich to give to the poor, 'Investors' are able to do so, because the legacy of this country has created wealth largely because of the oppression of the poor. it is not a christian perspective, especially since even though we know God gives us the power to get wealth, we also know he blesses those who look after the poor. very few cases of people with vast amounts of money were able to achieve that starting from nothing. For those that had, they would not have been able to do so, if not for the laws that had been placed in this country allowing that freedom; freedoms ironically, were denied from others. Greed.

There should be no excuse today, however,even those some residue from the past still exists. And those who think this way are in short, selfish. I feel that many who would be able to invest should not inhibit those who have less then them and be willing to educate others. So they may do the same. We have the bible and access to information, but Many Africans came here with less than nothing and had no one to help them, they had a 'foot on their neck' while others died. they perserved in spite those who were not willing to give them anything, I am a generational result of this.I would not have had my education if someone had not been willing to help. very unfortunate people still are very greedy and think this way. America will continue to be under judgement of the Lord in terms of our finances until we do right to "the least of these" thank you.