I think this election was an eye opening situation for the Republican party. They are going to have to realize that, in the future, they will have to move some of their positions more to the left if they want to see success. By the next election many people are saying that minorities are actually going to be the majority in the U.S., which plays a great deal of importance on a race such as this. I don't think there was ever any doubt, based on their poisitons of social issues, that Obama would be more popular among the minority groups. If that is the case, and if minorities do in fact end up becoming the majority in this country, conservative Republicans like Mitt Romney are going to find it hard to win over enough states to make it to that magic 270 electoral votes. I also read today that Mitt Romney won the biggest majority of the white vote of any presidential candidate in United States history who then failed to win the election. If that doesn't reinforce the above notion about the minorities, then I don't know what does.
I think that this election really came down to social issues in the end. Despite the surmised importance given to variables like the state of the economy, financial markets, and the deficit-- These candidates had opposite views on concerns that shaped voter decisions overall. The majority of Americans have stated in national polls repeatedly in the past few months that they are: In favor of gay marriage, lenient immigration measures, the current (or slightly altered) Obamacare, and abortion rights. The positions of Obama reflect these opinions of the majority much better than the stances of Romney. Romney stands in favor of the strictest immigration policy in the nation (Arizona), would work to repeal Roe. v Wade, and promoted stricter immigration from Day 1. In my opinion these issues dominated voter considerations when standing at the ballot box this year. I leave you with a quote from fellow blogger Dan Wright, regarding the importance of social issues/civil rights over economic concerns: I wish my moderate Republican friends would simply be honest. They all say they’re voting for Romney because of his economic policies (tenuous and ill-formed as they are), and that they disagree with him on gay rights. Fine. Then look me in the eye, speak with a level clear voice, and say, “My taxes and take-home pay mean more than your fundamental civil rights, the sanctity of your marriage, your right to visit an ailing spouse in the hospital, your dignity as a citizen of this country, your healthcare, your right to inherit, the mental welfare and emotional well-being of your youth, and your very personhood. It’s like voting for George Wallace during the Civil Rights movements, and apologizing for his racism. You’re still complicit. You’re still perpetuating anti-gay legislation and cultural homophobia. You don’t get to walk away clean, because you say you “disagree” with your candidate on these issues.
This election has definitely marked a turning point for this country. Of all the articles on the web, many talk about the differences in people who voted for either candidate. The minorities in the country voted for Obama, but they are not the minority anymore; they are becoming the majority. Not only is there a difference in ethnic/race groups, but also in the way that people think and see the world. New generations are welcoming things like homosexuality and same-sex marriage. We are more tolerant to many more things than our grandparent are because we have different ideas. It wont be long before the minorities become the majority and presidential candidates cannot expect to have support if they go against what the new generations support and what happened with Romney and Hispanics is a great example. His "self-deportation" statement took away their vote, who by the way account for a large section of the nation. Things are definitely changing.
Andrew, this quote from Dan Wright is terrific, I couldn't agree more. I hope that the Republican party's take home message from this campaign is that the American people cannot be fooled as easily as they had hoped. Lying in elections is simply wrong, and Romney should take his defeat in Ohio as a referendum on his character. A corollary of this is that promising vague economic miracles simply on the basis of conservative ideology, without data, models, or even a (honest) convincing sales pitch.
I think this election was an eye opening situation for the Republican party. They are going to have to realize that, in the future, they will have to move some of their positions more to the left if they want to see success. By the next election many people are saying that minorities are actually going to be the majority in the U.S., which plays a great deal of importance on a race such as this. I don't think there was ever any doubt, based on their poisitons of social issues, that Obama would be more popular among the minority groups. If that is the case, and if minorities do in fact end up becoming the majority in this country, conservative Republicans like Mitt Romney are going to find it hard to win over enough states to make it to that magic 270 electoral votes. I also read today that Mitt Romney won the biggest majority of the white vote of any presidential candidate in United States history who then failed to win the election. If that doesn't reinforce the above notion about the minorities, then I don't know what does.
ReplyDeleteI think that this election really came down to social issues in the end. Despite the surmised importance given to variables like the state of the economy, financial markets, and the deficit-- These candidates had opposite views on concerns that shaped voter decisions overall. The majority of Americans have stated in national polls repeatedly in the past few months that they are: In favor of gay marriage, lenient immigration measures, the current (or slightly altered) Obamacare, and abortion rights. The positions of Obama reflect these opinions of the majority much better than the stances of Romney. Romney stands in favor of the strictest immigration policy in the nation (Arizona), would work to repeal Roe. v Wade, and promoted stricter immigration from Day 1. In my opinion these issues dominated voter considerations when standing at the ballot box this year. I leave you with a quote from fellow blogger Dan Wright, regarding the importance of social issues/civil rights over economic concerns:
ReplyDeleteI wish my moderate Republican friends would simply be honest. They all say they’re voting for Romney because of his economic policies (tenuous and ill-formed as they are), and that they disagree with him on gay rights. Fine. Then look me in the eye, speak with a level clear voice, and say, “My taxes and take-home pay mean more than your fundamental civil rights, the sanctity of your marriage, your right to visit an ailing spouse in the hospital, your dignity as a citizen of this country, your healthcare, your right to inherit, the mental welfare and emotional well-being of your youth, and your very personhood. It’s like voting for George Wallace during the Civil Rights movements, and apologizing for his racism. You’re still complicit. You’re still perpetuating anti-gay legislation and cultural homophobia. You don’t get to walk away clean, because you say you “disagree” with your candidate on these issues.
This election has definitely marked a turning point for this country. Of all the articles on the web, many talk about the differences in people who voted for either candidate. The minorities in the country voted for Obama, but they are not the minority anymore; they are becoming the majority. Not only is there a difference in ethnic/race groups, but also in the way that people think and see the world. New generations are welcoming things like homosexuality and same-sex marriage. We are more tolerant to many more things than our grandparent are because we have different ideas. It wont be long before the minorities become the majority and presidential candidates cannot expect to have support if they go against what the new generations support and what happened with Romney and Hispanics is a great example. His "self-deportation" statement took away their vote, who by the way account for a large section of the nation. Things are definitely changing.
ReplyDeleteAndrew, this quote from Dan Wright is terrific, I couldn't agree more. I hope that the Republican party's take home message from this campaign is that the American people cannot be fooled as easily as they had hoped. Lying in elections is simply wrong, and Romney should take his defeat in Ohio as a referendum on his character. A corollary of this is that promising vague economic miracles simply on the basis of conservative ideology, without data, models, or even a (honest) convincing sales pitch.
ReplyDelete