From the comments, a much more typical view of Wal-Mart expansion:

FINALLY, it lists one going into Chicago. I’ve been begging for this so I can stop heading out to the ‘burbs all the time.

Normal people, who just want to be able to get cheap stuff, tend to have a much different view than blinkered ideologues and union members.

In fact, nothing could be more in the Republican Party’s interests than the Democrats jumping on the anti-Wal-Mart bandwagon. You want to talk about losing middle-class and working-class voters on "values" and "cultural" issues? Then mess with people’s Wal-Marts.

This really strikes me as a crusade that appeals almost wholly to the Naderite, Green Party, MoveOn.org wing of the Democratic Party, and thus — like Nader, the Green Party and MoveOn.org — actually ends up hurting the left when election time rolls around.

As far as I can tell from my own observations and e-mail from columns I’ve done on this topic in New York (admittedly, not a scientific survey), the anti-Wal-Mart campaign has accomplished nothing more than to make Wal-Mart set up a PR war room. Your average American just doesn’t care and will continue to shop there.

As well Mr. and Mrs. Average American should.