Posted by
stevo on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 2:25:31 AM
For much of the past several decades, it was assumed amongst Republicans that the black community's vote was solidly entrenched within the Democratic Party. As such, they generally ignored the community, as RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman now readily admits between profuse apologies.
As our country becomes more polarized over ideological and philosophical grounds, it becomes less culturally polarized. The defense of marriage crosses racial lines. The right to life crosses ethnic barriers. Hence, the dramatic improvement of President Bush and the Republican Party in Hispanic votes, and the slight improvement in Black votes in 2004.
Meanwhile, more wealthy, white suburbanites are moving toward the Democratic Party. This is clearly noticed in the metropolitan suburbs and amongst the dot com millionaires.
This said to highlight the fact that in the next decade, certain solid "blue" and "red" states should experience dramatic shifts. For an example of the electoral trend, one should perhaps notice the different trajectories of Maryland and Virginia. The black community is bolstering Republican hopes in Maryland; the white, suburbanite yuppies in Virginia are hurting the prospects of George Allen. Perhaps these brushstrokes are too broad, but I think they point us toward new electoral strategies.