There are plenty of demographics that vote against their interests. No doubt they also are unconfortable at having this pointed out. For example in England it was common for people to say they voted Labour because their father voted Labour and so on.

The Tories saw no point in offering these people (e.g. miners) anything because they all voted Labour. The Labour party took them for granted and gave them little, this is how Tony Blair does things. He ignores his base like Bush does and courts the central swinging voters.

Dean will probably do the same thing. He's energising his base and getting them to vote for him. Then he moves to the center to court those voters and gives his base very little.

Generally speaking, the more partisan a demographic group is the less they get from their politicial party. Of course there is usually a lot of rhetoric to keep them happy but very few concessions to them. Many Bush supporters are like those Labour miners, safe to ignore because their vote is in the bag.

People's reactions illustrate this, that they find something about this sociologist offensive and somehow representative of the Democrats they don't like. Bush doesn't have to give these people anything, that's why they didn't get any more than a pittance of the tax cut.