If you are Black or Hispanic and you think Trump will fight for you, think again. Read on.
Historically, there has been a sharp difference in the racial makeup of those voting for the two parties. During the last 4 federal elections (presidential and midterm) this was again the pattern. On average during these 4 elections, 62% of Democratic voters were White, 18% Black, and 23% Hispanic ; 87% of Republican voters were White, 1% Black, and 6% Hispanic.
As a point of reference, the national demographic is 62% White, 12% Black, and 19% Hispanic. So Whites are proportionately represented in the Democratic party, with Blacks and Hispanics overrepresented. Conversely, Whites are overrepresented in the Republican party, with Blacks and Hispanics underrepresented.
This will be no surprise to most observers. Pundits note this difference all the time. But they only talk about it in terms of whether the numbers are changing in a particular election and how this disparity impacts whether a candidate wins election.
The more critical question is what this racial divide indicates in terms of the parties’ reason for being, their mission, their emphasis.
As background to answering this question, a little history is necessary. Prior to 1964 and the passage of civil rights legislation by the Democratic controlled Congress under President Lyndon Johnson, every Congressmen from the southern states was a Democrat. This was a holdover from Reconstruction days when the Democratic President Andrew Johnson supported Whites in the South and stopped the integration of Blacks into the political and social structure of the South after the Civil War. These “Dixiecrats” stayed with the Democrats even as the party moved towards more support for Blacks, but they blocked any move for broader civil rights.
The passage of the CIvil RIghts Act of 1964 was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The Dixiecrats defected to the Republican party, thus creating the current dynamic of the clash between the two parties on all racially-related matters (this includes support for the poor who are disproportionately Black). Prior to the inclusion of the Dixiecrats, the Republican Party was not ideologically against support for Blacks; for example, most of the northern Republicans in Congress (House and Senate) voted for the Civil RIghts Act.
With that as background, it is not surprising that there is not just a racial divide in terms of who votes for the two parties, but there is a real difference in the focus of the two parties, their view of the role of government, and the legislative measures they support. Even pre-Trump, the Republican party was opposed to any government action to improve the lives of Blacks and the poor in general. When it came to White “rights” v Black “rights,” their focus was on White rights regardless the impact on Black rights and the greater common good.
The current Republican stance under the leadership of Donald Trump has taken that perspective and applied it to broader matters such as immigration. He has also turned this perspective into a battle cry.
However, with regard to working men, Trump has seen the advantage of taking a vigorous public stance in support of righting their grievances, which would involve government intervention. But he did nothing while in office to follow through with those promises. In terms of action, the Republican Party remains the party of business and the rich.
His public stance is so vigorous, however, his rage in support of the working man so powerful that he has convinced not just White working-class men, but also increasing numbers of Blacks and Hispanics to vote for him. Interestingly, this despite the fact that he rarely mentions Black or Hispanic causes and just addresses the general fears of the working class. He has made himself into a populist figure who can do no wrong.
The point of this post is to make Blacks and Hispanics, and even poor and working class Whites, aware that the Republican Party and Donald Trump are not the answer to your problems. Your best hope of improving your opportunities and status in life is to vote Democratic not just for President but for Congress (Senate and House) and local races as well. If you elect a Democratic President, but the Senate or House is in Republican control, any effort by the President to pass legislation to improve your lives will be stopped by Republicans in Congress.
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