January 23, 2010

'White surge to the GOP'

There seems to have been a white surge to the GOP in Massachusetts. In the 2008 election, no less than 79 percent of Massachusetts voters were white, and Obama carried them by 20 points, winning the state 62 to 36. How did Scott Brown turn that 26-point deficit into a six-point victory? Most likely by winning the white vote as massively as did Obama, says Pat Buchanan.
But, if that’s what really happened, what explains the white surge to the GOP? Here are some likely answers:

First, sinking white support for Obama, seen as ineffectual in ending the recession and stopping the loss of jobs.

Second, a growing perception that Obama is biased. When the president blurted that the Cambridge cops and Sgt. James Crowley “acted stupidly” in arresting black Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates—a rush to judgment that proved wrong—his support sank in white America and especially in Massachusetts, where black Gov. Deval Patrick joined in piling on Crowley. Deval is now in trouble, too.

Then there was Obama’s appointment of Puerto Rican American Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. Her militant support for race and ethnic preferences and her decision to deny Frank Ricci and the white firefighters of New Haven a hearing on their case that they were denied promotions they won in competitive exams because they were white caused 31 GOP senators to vote against her.

2 comments:

  1. I came across an intelligent interview on the subject of Obama, again in the Figaro.
    I have always thought that his greatest test will be Iran.
    And perhaps it's true, despite any present reservations we have- justifiably or otherwise.
    Concerning foreign politics so far, he has only done what is easy. When the Iranian crunch comes, and it can only be a question of time; if he steers through that intelligently, and then if- regarding the health system- he actually succeeds in doing what several other US Presidents have wanted to do but were unable to do in the past, then who knows? As Francis Fukuyama then suggests, he could then become a very great President.

    (The comments following the article in 'Italian' are beside the point of course. Mere curiosity on my part. I should have known better..)

    http://www.lefigaro.fr/international/2010/01/20/01003-20100120ARTFIG00069-obama-s-est-trompe-sur-la-signification-de-son-election-.php

    http://oknotizie.virgilio.it/info/68e55ac1473badd6/_obama_si_e_fuorviato_sul_significato_della_sua_elezione_intervista_con_francis_fukuyama._le_figaro_.html#11a45a98ee00b387

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  2. There's some truth here. Americans are a practical people, and Statist policies have a 100% failure rate. He has failed health care, cap and trade. His support of Islam and disdain for Christianity, with this observation that more and more whites are seeing his racism seep through, many of us are hoping his arrogant self important wings are clipped and keep him grounded for the rest of his administration.

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