I was just reading this from Matt Yglesias:
The issue in play here is to some extent obscured by the general upward trajectory. But overall, Obama improved on John Kerry’s vote share by 4.2 percentage points. His share of the white vote, by contrast, went up by only two percentage points whereas his share of the African-American vote went up seven points and of the Hispanic vote by 14 points. In other words, there was more rather than less divergence in white and non-white voting behavior.
Can this, should this be interpreted as a greater stranglehold on black political attention by the Democrats. Have they effectively put 95% of the black America in their back pocket for good? I mention this appropos some discussion we had about Dyson / Cosby / Juan Williams, specifically Williams:
I'm telling you that blackfolks perception of the GOP is presented to me in such a way that I conclude they believe the national party deals with blacks as a block. And I believe this perception makes them behave in such a way that as a pre-requisite for respect, that the block must be addressed as a national priority. The GOP has to have a 'black statement' in order for blacks to consider their candidates.In fact the only 'block' that exists is the rubric of 'Civil Rights', and it has become the proxy and the litmus for everything Republicans do. It's the Colored Door of American politics, and if you don't use it you're not considered. That goes both ways. The GOP is expected to address African Americans through the Colored Door and African American voters are expected to view the GOP through the Colored Door.
Whether or not African Americans are wedded in any significant way to Sharpton, Jackson, the NAACP, they are wedded to majority minority districts established by the Civil Rights Movement and the legacies of the elected officials who have represented them. Those critters are a pack, and nobody on the national scene can point to any black congressman who sounds even marginally different except for Harold Ford. But by and large there is no change in black politics. I don't see it. Do you?
Clearly Obama represents a threat and a change to black politics as usual and national politics as usual. My interest in political diversity among African Americans may be challenged by Obama's ability to become the third portrait on black livingroom walls next to Jesus and MLK. Is black America a tighter political block now, or does Obama have the opposite effect by breaking the grip of the Civil Rights Establishment?
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