The summer heat has its way of revitalizing our political feelings. The American and French revolutions began with the hot air in the skins of soldiers, in June and July. In 1967 a "long hot summer" of violence erupted across the United States, as protesters revolted against police brutality and racial injustice, and clashed with the police and the National Guard in most major cities. The following summer saw similar protests, and, like the current conditions, the presidential elections were very competitive. The current turmoil in America is in many ways similar to the riots of the 20th century, with youth and minorities expressing grievances about racial inequality and the relationship with their government. But there are two recent developments that exacerbate tensions between protesters and their opponents, and reduce the chance for the government to find a solution: political polarization and partisan anger.
The turmoil of 1968 is the clearest example of the current turmoil, and the Republican Party presented Richard Nixon and his deputy, Spiro Agnio, as candidates for "law and order", pledging to crack down on violence and impose sanctions on rioters. The election of that year was a major catalyst, for a race between race and politics in America, which may have helped Nixon and Agnew's electoral strategies take advantage of the anger and anxiety of many white voters. In a new research essay on competition, Omar Wassow, a political scientist at Princeton University, found that these protests “may have caused a shift of between 1.5 and 7.9% of whites towards the Republican Party.” Since then, describing the protests as racist violence, and the promise of "repressing them", has become the cornerstone of the Republican electoral guide.
Politicization of my republic
Republican politicization of the protests has continued to date. Donald Trump's rise in 2016 was linked to his ongoing campaign against immigration across the southern border, but the Ferguson and Baltimore riots, mid-2010, may be in the back of his supporters' minds. It is not a random generalization to say that Republicans depend on whites, while Democrats depend on non-whites for their electoral successes. According to a study published by the Pew Research Center on June 2, 81% of Republican voters are white, while only 59% of Democrats are of white race. And when African Americans were chosen between Joe Biden and Trump, the ballot was in favor of the Democratic candidate by 90%, according to the latest data.
Ethnic justice
The growing whiteness of the Republican Party has, over the years, made it less likely to progress in achieving ethnic justice. Although white voters generally agree with African-Americans' complaints about police brutality, they focus on violence and looting in the protests, which are occurring, rather than focusing on the broader social context. The majority of whites and Republicans in the poll varied about the cause of George Floyd's death, for example, but most of them said that the protests were the result of "a long-term black American bias against the police" rather than "a real desire to hold the police accountable."
On the other hand, white Democrats have moved to the left, on racial issues, as a result of political polarization and "party screening", and while democratic elites have embraced the ideas of African American activists, so have the liberal whites who remained in the party. This also changed the image of the regular protester. He joins black Americans, who protest against police violence, white and Latino, young and old, and the demonstration against police brutality has become political and ideological, not just racist.
Great anger
Over the past 60 years, the dispute between American political parties has not only widened, in terms of ethnicity, but has also become more angry with each other. In the book, "American Anger", which will be issued in the future on this topic, political scientist at Indiana University, Stephen Webster, believes that the ratings of Americans for the opposition party have decreased by nearly 40% since 1960, from an average of 50 to 30, out of 100. Webster is that there is an expression of negativity towards the other side.
It is assumed that the media and political leaders have incited voters to view the other side as a major threat to them, and as a group they should have hatred rather than work with it.
Crucially, Webster considers that the two parties have a fair share of angry voters, and some are found in bad corners despite the right demands, for "law and order"; They engage in riots and looting, and the American expert believes that this anger constitutes a major threat to the US government; He says that when people switch from emotional anger (for example, in response to police firing) to being accustomed (for example, routinely pretending to be against the state), explaining that they lose faith in the national government, and lose their commitment to democratic standards and values, They weaken their commitment to minority rights.
Political strategy
In short, the racist anger exploited by both Nixon and Trump is not only a political tool, but also harms the country. Likewise, some Democrats were angry with the police. Webster says the Republican capitalization of White Rage is a long-term political strategy, “but this time we may also find a manipulation of the protesters on the left”, and the Democratic elite is likely to tell its supporters that they must be angry at the police brutality, and they must be angry at systematic racism, And they should be angry at the president .. Why?
Webster says: "Because an angry voter is a loyal voter," it was found that between 30 and 40% of angry voters, at some or all of the time, they are called "passive partisans" those who view the other side as a threat to the country, and do not deserve their votes.
Back to the old one
The presidential election this year was devoid of angry race politics. The president has campaigned (and tweeted) much more about socialism and restrictions on movement caused by the coronavirus, and now Trump may return to the same racial divide policy that I served him the last time. He spoke at the Rose Garden in the White House on June 1, describing the protesters as "thugs", "criminals" and "thieves", and pledged "severe criminal penalties and long prison terms." This language was a coded symbol for some white voters, with whom Republicans stand against the "violent mobs" of African Americans, who threaten their safety, and there is no doubt that the campaign will become racist.
According to a study published by the Pew Research Center, 81% of Republican voters are white, and only 59% of Democrats are white. And when African Americans were chosen between Joe Biden and Trump, the ballot was in favor of the Democratic candidate by 90%.