It’s troubling to read stories such as the one posted on this link, about how white and non-white are deeply split in this country.
The first African-American ever elected president is seeking re-election and surveys indicate that his Republican opponent, Mitt Romney, is winning the white vote by margins rivaling those rolled up by the late Ronald Reagan.
Barack Obama’s election in 2008 was supposed to signal some transformational moment, or so many of us believed – and hoped. He won with 53 percent of the total vote over Sen. John McCain. Obama had campaigned as someone who could bridge the racial divide. If the current poll numbers are accurate – and I tend to believe them – then the president hasn’t built that bridge. Or, perhaps forces greater than any single politician are tearing them down.
I’ve noted already that the diversity gap between the Republican and Democratic national conventions told the story of the parties’ composition. The Rs’ convention in Tampa was overwhelmingly white, with a smattering of blacks and Latinos. The Ds’ convention in Charlotte – to my eyes, at least – exhibited much greater racial diversity. I don’t know what that means, except that the Republican Party remains a haven for white voters while non-white Americans are drawn to the Democrats.
Which party, therefore, is more representative of a country that has a tradition of welcoming people of all races?