rssIs There a New Post-Racial Tide in Conservative Politics?
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 at 1:31 pm
- 16 Comments
Recently, South Carolina Republicans have attracted a fair amount of positive national attention (a welcome change from last summer). Not only have they tapped Nikki Haley as their gubernatorial nominee — putting her a general election away from becoming the state’s first non-white, non-male governor — but they overwhelmingly voted to support Tim Scott in his bid to represent the state’s 1st district. With the primary now behind him, Scott is poised to become the first black Republican elected to the House since Oklahoma’s J.C. Watts retired in 2003, and the first from the South since Reconstruction.
Given that liberals have frequently criticized Republicans for racial insensitivity, how much should these results factor into our estimation of conservative racial progress? At The American Prospect, Adam Serwer argues that Haley’s success “says something positive about the direction of the Republican Party on matters of race.” And at The New York Times, Ross Douthat says that Scott’s success is a sign that the conservative base is interested in proving its “post-racial bona fides”:
Does the election of a single black Republican Congressman prove that the G.O.P. is on its way to shedding all the race-related baggage it’s accumulated over the last few decades? No, probably not. But I do think it suggests that I was right about Jindal and Obama — that whatever role race plays in the Republican base’s anxieties about the current president, there are an awful lot of rank-and-file conservative voters who are eager to step inside a ballot box and prove their multicultural, post-racial bona fides.
I think this might be true of Scott, though any celebration of conservative post-racial enthusiasm has to be tempered by the fact that birtherism is widespread among conservative Southern whites. And in Haley’s case, I think it’s worth considering the extent to which she’s had to meet the demands of white identity politics. As I argued at my own blog, it’s hard to imagine a Nimrata Nikki Kaur Randhawa having as much success in Southern conservative politics, and indeed, frequent attacks forced her to repeatedly stress her Christianity, in order to dispel rumors about her religious beliefs. The unfortunate reaction of some conservative South Carolinians to Haley’s candidacy simply doesn’t fit with Douthat’s image of a conservative movement eager to show its “post-racial” bona fides.
That said, I lean towards viewing yesterday’s results as basically positive. Even if racial attitudes among conservatives are less than progressive, it says something good about the GOP that it is becoming more open to minority candidates.
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16 Comments
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Comment posted June 23, 2010 @ 6:41 pm
It makes me sick that a Politician should have to “prove” their Christianity, or any other religion. I think that it should be embarrassing to admit to believing in spirits, angels,demons, the supernatural , resurrections, and the rest of that mythological nonsense. In no way shape or form do I view being superstitious,and gullible as a virtue. No one else should either. With the information available today anyone who still believes in gods is basically a moron. There's no way around it.
Comment posted June 23, 2010 @ 8:18 pm
Hah!
What a crock! The Republican party hasn't changed in quite some time, and won't, by the looks of things, change anytime soon.
Haley is tolerated only because of her “victory”. If she didn't get the nomination, would she still be a “raghead?”
They put up Jindal to show how “diverse” they are, as was Watts, Then support what's going on in Arizona under the guise of “immigration”. Makes one wonder….What do they call Michael Steele behind his back or behind closed doors, where there is nothing but a preponderance of white guys? I'd say the word clearly starts with an “N”.
There is clearly a dividing line with the republican party in regard to race.
The baggers, as well. Rand Paul is their poster boy for “race relations”, what with his call for a repeal of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. On so many issues that are negatively affecting this country, HE wants to introduce another. I'll bet if someone pressed Sharon Angle, they would get a similar response. Don't deny this, baggers. THEY are your front-people. They speak for you, because not one, not a single one of you have come forward to disclaim ANYTHING they have said!
But considering that most of the more vocal baggers are dissatisfied Republicans, none of this is surprising.
One last thought for you all……You can coat a lump of dogturd with chocolate and sprinkles, but ultimately, it's still a dogturd. You Republicans and baggers can no longer hide behind sophistry and platitudes. This country has progressed beyond your brand of “equality”.
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Comment posted July 9, 2010 @ 1:48 am
Conservative support of Haley, Jindal, Smith and others is not contingent on their ethnicity, it's contingent on their political platform and their ability to lead. Unlike the left, most conservatives aren't going to vote for a candidate based on their ancestral heritage. This is why were continuously smeared as racists.
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