It's the same perception I hear implied constantly on US TV programs - that a huge vote from African-Americans is good for Obama. So, what...every African-American who cast a vote did so for Obama? When did they become a block vote, unable to choose for themselves but only voting for the black man because of his colour, rather than being individuals who could vote either way for a whole host of reasons?
I'm all in favor of viewing people on their merits and expecting them to make up their own minds on things. It's been my perception, though, that to a large segment of the Democratic party, identity (race, gender, whatever) trumps everything. During the primaries, I saw articles exploring the dilemma of black women -- should they vote their race or their gender? The concept of voting for policies didn't even appear. And individuals who go against the official group position are traitors. Just ask Clarence Thomas. Or Sarah Palin, who last month was said to be "not really a woman."
Identity politics (block voting) has been huge in the Democrat party for decades. This isn't new, but it's getting a lot more attention this time around than usual.
Voting against a person simply because of their skin color is racist. And so is voting *for* someone for that same reason. It annoys me how the media condemns the first and celebrates the second.
PJ
