When the Telegraph can write this there is something to note:
When Mr Obama wins the votes of unmarried women by 38 points, it speaks to an abject failure of the Republican Party to rein in a vocal minority who represent the extreme fringes of what is considered acceptable to the majority of Americans.
In fact, by the look of it the only demographic where Romney really won was white males. Now I know I'm one of them, but Romney winning in that grouping doesn't mean we're all tarred with the same brush or ideology.
What this does say though - and I think, by the way, that this scenario is heavily replicated in the UK - is that just because white males make a lot of noise (I plead guilty) doesn't mean they are the only interest group needing to be served. In fact, the very opposite needs to be the case.
The message is loud and clear: the majority of white male prevailing prejudices are a minority pursuit that bias towards the interests of the 1% which makes them very noticeable and yet, and vitally, democracy has the power to contain this agenda, and we have to pay very, very serious attention to that fact and ensure we mobilise those who can deliver for the majority. Those who must mobilise are the mass of people in this country for whom sensible, redistributive, caring, one nation, discrimination free politics can deliver enormous gains in well-being, into which agenda tax justice fits perfectly.
There's an enormous message of hope in this.
But it means people have to believe politicians will deliver for them - and that's a challenge for all parties on the left (and maybe even the sane elements on the right).
Thanks for reading this post.
You can share this post on social media of your choice by clicking these icons:
You can subscribe to this blog's daily email here.
And if you would like to support this blog you can, here:
To adopt a strict rationalisation of the exit poll data:
White males, over 45 earning more than $50,000 whose faith is Mormon are the Rowney demographic.
The BBC news last night interviewed an Hispanic voter who said that he and his family were, by nature, Republicans but they voted for Obama as it was clear that Romney didn’t want him or his sort to be in the USA. Proof (if any were needed) that the current Republicans are nasty and stupid.
“Proof (if any were needed) that the current Republicans are nasty and stupid”
So, no change then ?
Romney lost the votes of women and Hispanics. Cameron deserves to lose the votes of women who are disproportionately suffering the consequences of the cuts (benefit entitlements and public sector jobs)
I hope that Obama is more successful in breaking the stranglehold of the military and finance industrial complexes in his second term than he was in his first. He has 2 years to make a difference, after that he will be viewed as a lame duck president. Let us hope that he does not take the US into more military conflicts or lend support to the UK government to do the same. As a member of Amnesty International I would hope that he reconsiders his ‘targeted killing’ programme and reduces the use of military drones in poor countries.
Agreed
As I noted yesterday, I was relived but not excited by his re-election
Surely in his second term he can be more radical?
Not all GOP members are swivel eyed far right lunatics and I just wonder whether they’ll be a split in the party when it comes to the “double fiscal cliff” struggle ahead. Perhaps this is just a vain hope and this therefore is mere idle speculation, that we may, just may have past the high water mark for the “agenda of the right”.
WE can hope
I certainly don’t think that John McCain was a lunatic. In 2001 I was in the US recovering from 33 hrs of travel and watching TV at my niece’s. I was very impressed with McCain’s impassioned speech about the need to cut election spending. I’m sure he hated being teamed with ‘that woman’ in 2008.
@ theremustbeanotherway
Regrettably, however, the current leadership of the GOP seem to have adopted for real, what Brecht wrote of satirically, after the 1953 popular uprisings in the German Democratic Republic, I quote –
The Solution
After the uprising of the 17th June
The Secretary of the Writers Union
Had leaflets distributed in the Stalinallee
Stating that the people
Had forfeited the confidence of the government
And could win it back only
By redoubled efforts. Would it not be easier
In that case for the government
To dissolve the people
And elect another?
Richard, you said you liked poetry, and thanks for that excellent Starbucks poem. Hope this also raises a wry smile.
‘Tis a a good one
”The message is loud and clear: the majority of white male prevailing prejudices are a minority pursuit that bias towards the interests of the 1% which makes them very noticeable and yet, and vitally, democracy has the power to contain this agenda, and we have to pay very, very serious attention to that fact and ensure we mobilise those who can deliver for the majority. Those who must mobilise are the mass of people in this country for whom sensible, redistributive, caring, one nation, discrimination free politics can deliver enormous gains in well-being, into which agenda tax justice fits perfectly.”
Agreed 100%
Looking through the Tumblr of photos of mourning Romney supporters, this chap looks very familiar:
http://whitepeoplemourningromney.tumblr.com/image/35303622144