The Republican Party continues to use the “Southern Strategy”
it’s embraced for more than 40 years. This
strategy has been somewhat successful for them, but convinces some voters to
support their policies. Over the years, the party has reinvented racism, using
a series of coded appeals which are inaudible at one level, but clearly heard
and understood at another. President Ronald Reagan, called the Great
Communicator by his loyal supporters, often remarked about “Cadillac driving
welfare queens” and “strapping young bucks” buying T-bone steaks with food
stamps. Similar rhetoric is found in the language used by former President Richard
Nixon and former presidential candidate George Wallace. You’ll see this strategy repeated
by many in the current field of GOP presidential candidates
Racial polarization among Republican voters appears to
generate enthusiasm for political candidates who promise to crack down on
crime, curb undocumented immigration, and wage war against Gays, Lesbians, and Muslims.
Short sighted politicians disregard the
interest of minorities and the disadvantaged and embrace regressive policies that
promised “trickle-down” benefits for whites. Current presidential candidates offer
pie-in-the-sky optimism and misplaced certitude. It’s interesting that their
primary appeal to the Republican base is that they have no past experience with
most of the issues facing the country today. This coupled with the bitterness of
the base against the failure of elected officials to deliver on past campaign
promises makes interesting reality television, but offers America and the
entire world little hope for the future.
The appeal of some Republican candidates seems contrary to
our stated national values which support equality and oppose racism. The inaudible
call for racial solidarity to combat “welfare cheats”, “illegal aliens”, and perceived
racial victimization presents an enormous problem for the country and particularly
for the struggling middle class. The liberal media seems to believe that the
GOP appeals to a small shrinking “silver” population. In an increasingly
diverse society, if you’re not careful, you might feel that racial polarization
will be solved when this group literally dies out. However, among whites, race appears
to be more important than gender, age, or geographical location. Race may well drive how individuals
vote, resulting in white support for the Republican Party. A quick look at the data
tells the story. In the 2012 election, 88% of voters for the GOP were white.
State level GOP elected officials nationwide received 98% of the white vote.
White men favored Romney by 62%, white women by 56% and white youth by 56%.
Race is a central feature in American Democracy today.
The policies of the Republican Party favor the extremely
wealthy and for decades governmental policies have created an unequal economy
that has wrecked the middle class. They blame the 2008 financial crisis on
homeowners who bought homes they could not afford. They fail to support the Civil Rights Act of
1964, casting it as an “over reach” of government power. They focus on the “undeserving
poor” who abuse government help, thereby robbing hard-working tax payers. They
cast whites as victims of an activist government that passes out gifts to grasping
minorities. You’ve heard it said that
African Americans, Hispanics and young people “want to get free stuff” from the
government. Accordingly, the GOP offers plans to control voting among these
groups as a way to counteract their support for democratic positions.
The second Republican presidential candidates’ debate tonight
will spotlight their strategies. See if there’s a lack of emphasis on support
for upward mobility through good schooling and affordable higher education. Take
note if there appears to be a lack of interest in rebuilding the nation’s
infrastructure or controlling abuse in the market place through regulation.
Watch for discussions on jobs, healthcare and the economy, marked by a lack of
specificity. It may help you decide where your vote will do the most good in serving
those issues that you care about.
