Race on the ballot—again
In 1900, W.E.B. Du Bois named the color line as the problem of the 20th century. The color line, which still persists, is on trial this presidential election.
While Donald Trump polls low among black voters, these numbers have improved slightly. Black Trump supporters contend that President Obama’s tenure has done very little for their plight. Many cite what they see as Obama’s unwillingness to fully address the color line.
Yet black voters make up a largely Democratic bloc that resists political realignment—largely because of the way race, geography, and politics are intertwined. Republicans in the South have resisted legislation that empowers welfare recipients, LGBTQ folks, and people of color, particularly when forced into such reforms by the federal government. This perception of big government has fueled animosity on the part of white voters—and some of the racially charged disdain toward Obama in 2008 and 2012.
