Best Political Article in a While


Columnist David Brooks laid out the reality of today's politics recently. He pointed out the relationship between the young generation of voters and the Republican Party. The relationship is this: As the younger generation becomes more accepting of interracial marriage, interracial friendships, gays, transgendered people, abortion and government provided medical care the Republican Party becomes more aggressive in opposing these very issues. He does not see how this will result in anything but political losses for the Party.

He points out, however, the demise of Republicans has been predicted before and it became more, not less, popular. That is why, he says, pundits are reluctant to predict its demise now.

He writes that it may well be different this time. Polling data shows the majority of young people not only vote or intend to vote for liberal Democrats, their views reflect a strong dislike of Republicans.

It used to be said the majority of people become more conservative as they grow older. This is not the case anymore. We do not see, for example, large numbers of people flocking into churches when they move from their 20's to the 30's and 40's. If anything the numbers decline with age.

I was struck with some numbers I saw today about the graduating class of a high school near where I now live. It is in the order part of an urban area with about 600,000 people. Thirty per cent of the graduating class is black, about the same white, about 20% Hispanic and the rest a variety of ethnic backgrounds. The suburbs are becoming more racially and culturally diverse.

It seems impossible that today's race based political techniques will be successful for much longer. 

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