October 26, 2004
Back In Black
The monopoly on the black vote may be cracking, which helps everybody...
New polling indicates notably higher support for President Bush among black voters, perhaps signalling an end to the thralldom of the black voting public to the Democrat party and inviting a new stage of competitiveness between the parties for same.
It is simply axiomatic that bloc voting with no deviance is in effect submitting yourself for a one-bidder auction. With no competitiveness in the black vote, Republicans aren't inclined to waste time courting a vote they cannot get, and the Democrats aren't inclined to waste resources on a vote they cannot lose.
But this may all finally be changing. As the black middle class expands painfully slowly, and as social issues dominate among traditionally socially-conservative black religious voters, there are cracks forming around the normally stalwart turnout for Democrats. And this can only be a good thing for everyone in the long run. Being written off on the one hand, and taken for granted on the other, leaves the black American voter powerless to influence the political process in many cases.
The internal debate in the American black community on politics, society, and their future role in America is one long overdue, but neccessary to advance both black clout in the political process and help foster transition to new modes of economic development and integration with the American economic power structure.
You have to play to win, and by putting their vote in play, black voters stand to gain...
UPDATE: Ann Coulter has a decidedly more acerbic and partisan but at times salient take on the same topic, just released here...
Posted by MEC2 at October 26, 2004 07:08 PM