|
McAlvanah suffers from the same delusion as most of the center-right elitist punditry. I call this disease "extreme commoner xenophobia delusion," or ECXD for short. This disease causes pundits to believe that the American electorate is overflowing with incredibly bigoted rubes who can't stand anything that even remotely deviates from their normal cultural experiences.
The truth is that the country has changed dramatically since the conservative backlash dominated elections of the previous two generations, and its far more pluralistic composition has rendered such xenophobic attacks inert. Witness, for example, the remarkable electoral success of Republican immigration messaging over the past few years. Also, given the rapid change of opinion on related subjects, it won't be long before anti-gay marriage initiatives begin to fail at the ballot box across the country. The one in California is already is serious trouble.
We are just not a majority conservative backlash nation anymore. Sixteen years ago, the electorate was 87% white, but in 2008 it will be about 75% white. Eighteen years ago, only 10% of the country identified as non-Christian, but now that percentage is up to 22%. White non-Christians are increasing their share of the electorate even faster than non-whites, and both groups vote for Democrats at nearly 3-1 rates.
The new America just isn't about xenophobic backlash anymore. It is sad that it ever was, but thankfully that time is over. The likes of Nora McAlvanah might think that this is the sort of message that Republicans have waited their lives for, but the truth is that the life work of conservatives is passing before their eyes. An African-American college professor who is viewed by more than 55% of the country as a liberal is beating the most highly thought of Republican in a generation (McCain has the highest national favorable rating of any Republican elected official in the country). That simply would not be possible if the old conservative coalition hadn't shrunk to minority status.
So go ahead, run your xenophobic ads about how horrible it is that someone who wants to be President of the United States wants to see America re-enter a global community of nations. Show people in several countries cheering wildly for him. I'm sure that will play well for your candidate and your cause. Or, at least it will play as well for your candidate and your cause as everything you have done over the last four years. Please, as America enters a pluralistic era, follow your xenophobia down a rabbit hole of generational minority status. We won't miss you governing the nation one bit. |
STATE BLOGS
