Progressive Lessons From The 2016 Election

The get-go affair to highlight most the 2016 Presidential election is that our electorial organization is unfair – Trump lost the pop vote yesteryear over 2 1 grand one thousand votes, but he believes he has a mandate.  In fact, 42% of eligible voters did non vote at all, together with 4% voted for a 3rd political party candidate, which way that Trump was supported yesteryear less than 27% of the eligible voters, together with yet Trump volition live on probable live on able to command the national agenda because the Republicans command both houses of Congress together with two-thirds of the governorships. It is too of import to stress that many people said they were non voting for him but voting against Hillary Clinton, together with the bulk of voters exactly voted for the same political party they ever vote for. In other words, Trump won the game, solely because nosotros receive got a screwed upward winner-takes-all organization where many people create non fifty-fifty participate, together with most of the people who create vote create non vote based on an analysis of the policies presented yesteryear the candidates.

One of the big post-election debates is over the notion that the election proves that identity politics is over.  In other words, Democrats should halt talking most racism, sexism, together with Islamophobia, together with instead they should larn how to brain to the white working course of teaching that voted for Trump.   Many liberals are taking upward this campaign against identity politics every bit if nosotros should exactly unopen our eyes together with ignore the fact that Trump used racism together with sexism to gain votes. Of course, 1 of the slap-up strategies of the Right for the final xl years is to scrap that whites are the existent victims of prejudice together with that people of colouring are privileged because they are supported yesteryear regime programs funded through the taxation of whites.  In this upside-down world, a billionaire similar Trump is represented every bit a working course of teaching hero together with the existent victim of taxes, regime regulation, together with bad merchandise deals.  Meanwhile, inwards house of blaming big businesses or wealthy individuals for hording profits together with downsizing jobs, the Republicans focus the attending of the working course of teaching on the liberal elites who brand whites experience bad for their sexism, homophobia, racism, together with anti-Semitism. Instead of giving into this reversed racism, nosotros receive got to scrap it at every measurement together with offering an choice vision.

One of the principal reasons why Clinton lost is the same argue why inwards the final 65 years solely 1 political party has held the White House for 3 consecutive terms: Americans ever look to wishing a modify subsequently a two-term president, together with Clinton clearly did non stand upward for whatsoever existent change.  There is too the pesky fact that one-half of all Americans spent parts of the final twelvemonth below or exactly to a higher house the poverty line, together with most workers receive got non seen a existent pay heighten inwards 50 years.  Of course of teaching Trump solely proposes imitation solutions to these existent problems, but they are nonetheless existent problems, together with it does non assist us to plough our dorsum on racism.  In fact, inwards our culture, race together with wealth are highly correlated, together with yous cannot verbalise most course of teaching without dealing amongst race fifty-fifty though white working course of teaching men encounter themselves every bit representing a grouping that stands exterior of race.

It is vital to recognize that race helps to rationalize inequality every bit it too divides people who part a mutual course of teaching interest.  On the other hand, politicians tin sack too purpose race to scapegoat specific groups inwards social club to gear upward political unity.  The big query is how to convey together a concern for prejudice amongst a wishing to a gear upward a rigid democratic coalition that takes on existent economical problems.   

Share this post