I am not trying to offend anyone here, but from the vantage point that you cite (and from where I sit too) poor = not too bright. And my number one criteria for perspective date = SMART.
One of the most amazing men that I dated was born BIGTIME backwoods poor, N Carolina DIRT POOR - four to a bed in a one room shack with four beds. He altered his birth certificate and enlisted when he was only 15. The man NEVER even finished high school, let alone attended college. He was INCREDIBLY SMART though. He was 65 when we dated, had EXCELLENT taste, was very down to earth and owned near half the state of Florida. He made every dime honestly and with the power of his BRAIN.
That sort of person is what attracted me and though he was very taken with me he dumped me because he could not handle the drama that my ex was wreaking in my life.... and I can't say that I blamed him, though I felt duped to a certain extent as I never hid it from him and a man of his life experience should have been able to *get it*n before he pursued me full steam ahead. I was happy to keep our relatioship friendly and casual, but he insisted he wanted so much more then just ran when he felt himself getting to close - what kind of lilly livered bullshit was that?
But hey, it was a lesson well-learned. I just realized that to the laundry list, one more characteristic was mandatory in any man I would allow into my life - GUTS and HONOR to back it. So I held out until My Old Grump came along and said that he was up to the task if I would have him.... and so far, he has been.
I am very blessed.