RACE AND POLITICS 2004

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RACE AND POLITICS 2004
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PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS 2004

• House of Representatives now has 42 blacks all
  Democrat
• 23 Hispanics all Democrat bar two
• Huge under representation of both minorities
  given their numbers in US society
• Only 1 black B Obama and 2 Hispanics in the
  Senate 5 blacks in total ever

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Why lack of representation?

• Apathy of minority voters
• Poorer you are the less likely you are to vote,
  or stand as a candidate
• Traditionally low minority voter turnouts
• Main parties conservative in choice of candidates
  less voters/less candidates
• Staggering amount of money to stand for office

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• Money also follows money. People and
  organisations will back people who look like they
  can win

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Redistricting

• Creation of minority-majority states.
• The drawing up of voting districts to give
  minority groups an equal opportunity to
  participate in the political process
• With a black/hispanic district majority more
  minority candidates will stand/win

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• Criticism of engineering. Like Affirmative
  Action
• Well intentioned but actually increasing racism
  rather than overcoming it
• Assumes only black black representatives can
  represent black people
• Builds a racial divide into political system
• However, states such as Al, NC, Fla have returned
  black Congressmen for first time ever

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Participation

• Stereotype of black gangsta youth caring little
  for politics is factual
• Young black males little interest in politics
• Voting irregularities of 2000 not helping
  criminal records
• 2004 backlash higher minority turnout
  Redistricting and 50/50 nation

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• Unity 04 Campaign registration drive P
  Diddy
• Voter registration in churches, barbers, colleges
• Car rides to polls, media campaigns on black
  radio
• 9 out of 10 voted Democrat

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Why do Blacks vote Democrat?

• 89 voted for Kerry in 2004
• Hispanics only voted 55 for Kerry
• Strong historical reasons JFK War on Poverty
  LBJ Civil Rights
• Republicans target white voters because they are
  more likely to vote
• Republicans have strong hold of South and Middle
  America

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• White voters like low tax Democrat candidate
  perceived as high taxing, social engineering, pro
  Black
• Democrats will maintain public services minority
  use
• Democrats will support Affirmative Action
• Whites see crime and drugs as black problems so
  support Republicans who are tough on offenders

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What about Hispanics?

• Lot more fluid and unpredictable
• Much more likely to vote Republican why?
• Huge variations in Hispanic community. Many are
  affluent and have little in common with sweat
  shop Mexicans
• Bush Jnr also wooing their vote
• Ex Governor of Texas, Religious conservative
  abortion etc Amnesty on Illegal Immigrants

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• Hispanics also not unified by civil rights era
  Arrived in USA as individuals so no them and us
  attitude.

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Normalisation

• A fluid ever changing society
• Ethnic diversity within society
• Growing black middle class who have benefited
  from AA and University education
• Do they vote for a party which reflects there
  economic interests?

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• Republicans do not have to try too hard to win
  black middle class
• They live in the vanilla suburbs where there is
  a large concentration of middle class whites
• Republican hostility to AA send a message that
  they are anti minority
• Support or opposition to AA has become a coded
  message regarding sympathy for a races plight

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• US society is segregated along a great many lines
• Race permeates every aspect of American life
• Music, clothes, sport, criminal system, voting
  Democrat the races do there own thing