They're just scared. They know times are getting tougher and they don't want lose everything. The socialists have been trying to rope this country in for about 100 years and you gotta admit, they are very well organized. In addition to the schools, they've got most newspapers, radio, TV, movies - anything to control people. There is a great myth about the republicans as the fat cat monopoly man, with the top hat and all. Fact is, Wall Street today seems happier with the democrats, but a lot of people just can not see that, mainly because they are so woefully ignorant about economics and finance. And that's no accident. A lot of effort went in to creating that ignorance.
The union member that first comes to mind - the coal miner or steelworker - is still around, but more and more, they are government workers, and they know where their bread is buttered. There was that ruckus in Wisconsin recently. I understand they weren't so upset about having to pay more for their benefits, which are probably pretty good, but about not having the right to strike. How in the world can government workers - police, fire, garbage collectors, etc - go on strike?