Actually most people did just go to work rather than vote in meaningless primaries with meaningless items like this Prop C. You know those that do work instead of retired white people who went and voted yesterday since their other option was church or bingo.
You are not the majority, you are an ever shrinking part of the populace who is losing your grip on power. The last gasp of the wasp, good riddance.
Your lack of knowledge of the state is showing. Missouri is a highly unionized state. in fact, it has only recently become less unionized with the loss of auto plants/construction jobs/aerospace/manufacturing. Those "retired people" you refer to are/were on average very pro union and collecting union pensions. Prop. C was supported throughout the state even in highly Democrat supported areas like Columbia, Springfield, Kriksville, Kansas City & St. Louis. Chances are the outcome would have been similar with any percentage actually voting.
Problem area is, I don't believe the vote was so much a mandate against health Care Reform as it was the general displeasure of the people from Missouri, and all across the country with the government overall. The passage of this bill was little more than a message to D.C. from Missouri and by several more states after Nov..