The Death of the Monolithic Voting Block

[NNguyenMD]

If there is anything that the post election analysis has taught me, is that I need to stop looking at ethic groups as monoliths.

What drives a person to decide who they wish to vote for is much more complex and goes well beyond what we assume are their views as an ethnic group. It's unfair to assume that immigration is the predominant issue for latino voters, or the criminal justice reform is the major issue for African American voters, or that white voters only care about tax cuts and abortion.

There was a great podcast by the Washington Post today on why people voted the way they do. Voters are complex, whose priorities and concerns for the nation are not a straight forward as we may assume.

We need to engage voters more and show them why we deserve their vote, rather than assume that it's in the bag already.

[LeftInTX]

1. Amen!

I especially get upset over Latino outreach...
If Trump put white immigrant children in cages, would white people vote for him?

If Trump "grabs them by the p_____" will women vote for him?

[LSFL]

2. Everyone wants the same thing

Security.

[elleng]

4. Maybe, but 'everyone' sees 'security' in different places.

[elleng]

3. 'Voters are complex,

whose priorities and concerns for the nation are not a straight forward as we may assume.

We need to engage voters more and show them why we deserve their vote, rather than assume that it's in the bag already.'

[Hortensis]

5. Here's the problem: Minority CONSERVATIVES

Conservatives are at least half of almost all minority groups, sometimes significantly more due to strongly conservative cultural backgrounds.

Forget engaging all but the more moderate conservatives. The rest will always seek and find reasons not to vote for us. And like the rest of today's conservatives, the reasons they give are virtually always lies.

They're not able to either "deserve" the Democratic Party or even to give us a backhanded thanks for all we do for them in spite of their opposition. They're strong conservatives. They don't like us.

As for AA, they've have been a small but strong power bloc in the Democratic Party since the New Deal era when a vast majority, but not all, of those who were politically engaged moved to the Democratic Party. Their power is the result of most liberal and conservative AA voting together for common goals, something no other racial group has accomplished. But black conservatives are not liberals. Their turnout for Dems rose when Obama ran, dropped badly when he was followed by a woman, and are up again with a white man -- but not to Obama's height. What else should anyone expect, and how is any of that the multiracial, multigender Democratic Party's failure?

Obviously, we're not about to turn into a conservative party, and that's what it'd take to persuade conservatives who despise liberals and liberalism, and our great diversity, that we "deserve" them.

Btw, regarding immigration, we're from SoCal and have heard a lot over the years from Hispanic friends and acquaintances on that issue, and solidly conservative Hispanics are a lot more likely to be on the Republican side of the immigration issue than not, even to identify with them, and to agree with Republican ruthlessness.

That Republicans kick Hispanic immigrants in the teeth in part as surrogates for the Hispanic citizens many insist on refusing to accept does not change the attitudes of conservative Hispanics toward immigrants.

(Btw, large numbers of Hispanics are white and most of those conservatives fit just fine in the Republican Party. Hispanic/LatinX" is not a race classification, it refers to those from around the planet of any race who self-identify with Spanish language-based culture in their background, like my fellow MIL from a Spanish family.)

[Celerity]

9. +1000

[Cheezoholic]

6. It's money

it's always been and always will be about money. There are only 2 "monolithic" voting blocs, those with money and those without. The sooner every supposed "ethnic group" understands that and realizes that there is only one "skin color", one "religion", one "ethnicity".. WEALTH and POWER...then the closer we all can get to a "true" society. We all are pawns in the great game of division that benefits the few, but are we willing to stop playing the game for ourselves to benefit all? Not trying to be pretentious, its all been said for damn near ever. Fools Gold is only foolish treasure when Gold Fools give no other measure.

[Mike Niendorff]

8. You're suggesting progressives discuss economic class?

HELL. YES. WE. SHOULD.


MDN

[lambchopp59]

10. "You aren't a billionaire, why vote like one?"

I won't beat the dead horse of those who vote believing they'll be lottery winners someday. The same sort who likely would win millions, then be destitute within a year and paying a new round of child support, having burnt through their prize. I've met exactly two of this ilk, also suffering pancreatitis from associated ETOH and/or drug abuse.
Do I recall correctly during one of DT's most idiotic campaign rallies stating "you all are going to be so rich someday" ?
"There's a million MAGA suckers born every minute" would have been more accurate.
All part of why I maintain there should me a minimal I.Q. requirement to vote.

[Hortensis]

12. :) Watch out, ONCOMING from the right! AND from the left.

Just maybe look around?

1. Almost all voters are NOT wealthy and are anything but one "monolith."

2. Half of all voters are conservative, most of whom see divisions in terms of "culture war" issues. Not money. And the rest are real big on keeping full freedom to grab for themselves.

3. Belief that class hierarchy-based societies are good and inevitable comes naturally to most conservatives. They're the very opposite of class warriors. Not a chance they're going to see almost anything your way. They may hate Democrats, but certainly not because they imagine we're just like them.

4. By far most liberals think your notion that everything's about money is bizarrely blind to reality, and very insulting to everyone. Equality and rights of all men (not equality of wealth) is our single most defining issue. Don't you feel it? We're also kind of big about individual liberties and right to pursuit of happiness, too, and your notions are inimical to both. OUR goals have always been to eliminate the poorest classes and the wealthiest, with the exception of the latter, protecting the freedom of people to live their lives as they will. See Pelosi at the bottom. It's real.

These orientations are bone deep, wired into our personalities, as I imagine yours to the need to impose your class warfare/universalist solutions are in you. You can't imagine yourself changing your deepest beliefs, and need to use that to realize that everyone else is similarly committed to their own basic beliefs. And look out the window or door around your immediate neighborhood or workplace. See anyone who thinks as you do? They're not going to change.

[JI7]

7. Still, White people are the only ones where majority votes Republican

Overall HIspanics still vote mostly Democratic and in Georgia they were part of the newer voters that helped Biden win.

I do agree that the issues people vote on are not what people always assume. The cuban americans always saw themselves as different than other hispanics and they get special treatment that others don't where if they make it to the US they can stay . Yet they act superior to others and talk about how others need to follow the law while not mentioning the laws are different when it comes to them.

The people who vote on issues are mostly partisan voters who regularly vote for the same political party.

But many people don't vote on issues. The Trump supporters are mostly racists who voted based on their resentments .

Many people voted for Biden that didn't agree with him on issues but they were turned off by Trump.

[Klaralven]

11. The solidarity of People of Color is in question

The idea that People of Color will all vote Democratic, and therefore the Democratic Party will achieve a durable majority as whites are demographically overwhelmed, is probably wrong.

The racial aspect of the political system is likely instead to evolve into something more complex, like those of Latin America or India.

[JCMach1]

13. I roughly agree with your argument, I just caution drawing any conclusions

From 2020