It’s an uncomfortable truth. By small margins, Latinos and African-Americans voted more for Donald Trump in 2016 than Mitt Romney in 2012. This happened after a year of constant insults and threats against those communities. And all the ballyhoo about increased turnout by non-whites added up to very little.
For as long as I can remember Progressives have assumed that changing demography will equal changing politics for the better. For example, every four years we speculate about when rapidly browning Texas might join Blue America — it’s always about 4-8 years in the future. The major leaders of minority communities (not all such communities are racially based) tend to be progressive firebrands. But do these leaders really represent the masses of their communities? I can’t think of a white union leader who supported Trump but the majority of white union members went with the billionaire. Donald Trump is sure to be the most anti-labor president ever.
As we question the racism and hate among so many of our countrymen we also need to question our own assumptions. Why is is that the arc of the Clintons national political career went from “It’s the economy stupid” in 1992 to the 2016 election when the economy did’nt seem to matter much? Why is it that once proudly progressive Wisconsin has become a red state? Is there anyone in the country who has won more elections than Scott Walker over the last 8 years? Why is it that Democrats have become an endangered species in rural America?
As we grieve and vent our disgust over this election I hope we can also examine our assumptions and explore about how we can win in the never ending struggle for a society of peace & justice. We did win with Barack Obama and Elizabeth Warren. Always, I hope this site remains a welcoming place for people who don’t think they have all the answers but who ask the right questions. Constructive, if uncomfortable, debate and dissent about what person can best represent progressive values should strengthen this community. I don’t have many answers but I have a lot of questions.