It is no secret to that race plays a huge part in how most Americans decide to vote. For the first 150 years of our existence as a nation we’ve watched the powerbrokers of pre- colonial and post- colonial America suppress or outright deny the voting rights of American citizens. In the 21st century there is a covert political game played by our new two party system that reaks of the same residue of yester-year, accept the stakes are much higher.
American citizens have aligned themselves around the outward appearance of candidates rather than the issues that really effect their lives. The racial component has really come front and center since the election of our first African American President. Most people that look like Obama overwhelmingly support him while just 43% of whites did so in 2008.
Across racial lines, Americans are also prone to vote according to their value system. The candidacy of Mitt Romney does seem to have a sense of hypocrisy amongst the evangelical voter. Many of them weren’t on board with him in the early going. Candidates such as Rick Santorum, Rick Perry and even Herman Cain seemed to appeal to the evangelical base more than Romney which was consistent with the two previous times he ran for President.
The term Post racial has somehow caught on the psyche of some very well meaning Americans. However this election cycle reminded us just how much race really matters in the political arena. November 6th can’t come soon enough…
By: Andrew Patton
Blogger ~ Pop, Politics & Sports
“For the first 150 years of our existence as a nation we’ve watched the powerbrokers of pre- colonial and post- colonial America suppress or outright deny the voting rights of American citizens.”
What does “pre- colonial” mean with respect to your timeline of 150 years and the use of American citizens?
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