LESSON: MAKE NICE TO MINORITIES

With the last posting, I began a series of postings dedicated to lessons I derived from the results of the recent election. I believe these lessons are, one, encouraged by viewing the election from the perspective of federation theory and, two, useful to being addressed in civics classrooms. The last shared lesson was the realization that mid-term elections are a different political event than are presidential elections. A short version of this lesson is that the difference between them reflects the fact that mid-term elections over-represent voters who are either dissatisfied with conditions as they are or voters who are more emotionally invested in the fortunes of their favored political party. The result is that one is on very thin ice when one generalizes from the outcomes of mid-term elections or arrogantly states that those elections substantiate what the American electorate wants.

With this posting, I want to echo a lesson that the media has been emphasizing; that is, the Republicans have to begin to cater to or do a better job of alluring non-white voters – the minorities. Here, of course, I am referring to mostly African-American and Latino/a voters. The most cited stat is that Republicans were able to garner only 23 % of the Hispanic vote last Tuesday. African-American numbers are probably of less interest given that those voters have fallen traditionally, at least since the 1960s, heavily in the Democratic column. But when one analyzes the two populations, the Hispanic and African-American, we have, especially on social issues, fairly conservative folks. And yet the conservative national party is getting its clock cleaned by these sectors of the electorate.

Here is the problem: too many Republicans view these groups as “takers” not “makers.” They have boxed themselves into language, reflecting beliefs that no conditions in life exist in which a person should depend on governmental assistance. They are also taken with the idea that illegal aligns – or undocumented immigrants, depending on how you view these souls – are somehow taking advantage of our laws regarding immigration. The assumption is that the laws are reasonable and breaking them has no legitimate standing. Whether this is true or not is the subject for another posting. But in terms of the concern here, the language these beliefs have generated has made, or at least encouraged, Republican leaders to cater to the more bigoted elements in their ranks. So, the consensus I have been hearing is that they are scrambling to find new strategies that will be more conducive to these voters. Perhaps nominating more Latins and blacks will fix their problem. My take is that unless they view these voters as partners in our union, they will not find the way to their hearts. And if Republicans want a long term condition that can depend on more Hispanic and even African-American votes, that's where they need to be. Stan Greenberg, the highly regarded pollster, stated that the change in demographics this election exposed has generated a change in the mindset among the nation's voters.¹ Exemplifying this point, Mitt Romney didn't even win the Cuban-American vote in Miami-Dade, Florida – a traditionally Republican stronghold.

The challenge posed by the African-American population, though, is more daunting. Here we have too much history. After all, it was the Democratic Party that sacrificed its reliable voting base in the South to commit to the Civil Rights legislation of the 1960s and all the governmental policy that has been implemented since that has protected and advanced the interests of these voters. And instead of seeing the self- inflicted damage Republicans are doing, they are supporting such efforts as overturning in the Supreme Court the Civil Rights voting law of 1965. They undermine public education with their calls for vouchers and charter schools. They jump at any opportunity to cut back on economic programs that provide low income assistance.

My lesson from this election is that the Republicans are a far cry from finding the messages and images needed to present the minority populations with an agenda of proposed policies that are believable and attractive to these minorities. Hence, at least in presidential elections, Republicans are in bad shape and, of yet, don't seem to know how to improve on their prospects. 

 

1Mr. Greenberg's conclusion was stated on a C-Span broadcast which aired on November 7, 2012.