Civil rights split the Democratic Party. A part of the Democrat base, the poor South, split off to support the Republicans, who had been, more or less, non-combatants in the war over civil rights. Since the day of LBJ’s lament on the White House lawn there has not been a successful Democratic presidential candidate from the North, and the Republicans have won almost twice as often as their opponents. Only once in the past ten elections has a Democrat polled more than 50 per cent of the vote (Georgia’s Jimmy Carter received 50.08 per cent in 1976). The long period of ascendancy for the Right in America was an uncovenanted bonus from a bitter bout of political infighting.
And now the advantages of that bonus are coming to an end. America is changing and the Democratic liberals might be able (just) to win a national election without the overwhelming support of the alienated white working class. If such a victory doesn’t happen this time, it will soon. America, like Britain, is seeing the rise of what one might call a mass chattering class.
The US census shows that a record number of Americans – more than 80 per cent – now complete high school or go to college. There is also, for the first time, a mass class of millionaires – 7.3 million Americans belong to this group, with more than a million dollars of assets. If you include their primary residence in the calculation there are many millions more. More than half of the country now considers itself middle class and is working less and enjoying more leisure time. Lyndon Johnson’s voters in the poor part of Texas did not have electricity. Last year more than 80 per cent of Americans went online.
With this change in economic fortunes has come a revolution in social attitudes – a mass class that is more tolerant, broadminded, socially concerned. And Democratic.
I just spent my lunch break playing with the GSS and I can say that the whole education thing is not true. Education is weakly correlated with party preference but I wouldn’t conclude that Republican demographic prospects are in peril because the country is becoming more educated.
[i]The US census shows that a record number of Americans – more than 80 per cent – now complete high school or go to college. There is also, for the first time, a mass class of millionaires – 7.3 million Americans belong to this group, with more than a million dollars of assets.[/i]
The author lost his credibility here. High school displomas aren’t what they used to be, nor is a million dollars in assets. These factors by themselves do not indicate a higher level of education or wealth. In fact, we’re a clearly a less well educated country than we were 50 years ago. Just listen to those graduates try to express themselves in spoken word or print.
NO. 2 – You are so right – There are so many who are one half or one quarter educated who think they are fully educated because they went to college.
We keep importing scientists and engineers because the public schools have failed to make educate so many high school graduates that they take remedial courses the first year in college.
“Republicans… non-combatants in the war over civil rights.” another example of the Big Lie (repeated often enough that it becomes believed. Lenin and Goebbels would be proud.
Republicans (President and Congress) started the civil rights push in the 50’s. Democrats were forced to come on board in the 60’s, but Congressional support for the ’64 Act was still stronger among Republicans. How sad that so many people are afraid of the truth.
So, he is saying that the Democratic Party is the party of rich elites? I thought so…
#6. No. The Democratic Party is the party of intellectual snobs who never deliver.