In Gallup’s latest pollon how the voters are divided based on race, 93 percent of non-Hispanic black voters say they will support Obama. At the same time, only 51 percent of non-Hispanic white voters say they will support McCain. So why is there nearly unanimous support of black voters for Obama?
In my political science class, some black students suggested the support is due to the U.S. history of excluding blacks from positions of power. Therefore, regardless of their personal political views, the students say, the black community is coming together to achieve a great step toward racial equality.
This idea is echoed by Lani Guinier, President Bill Clinton’s nominee for civil rights enforcement chief. In her book The Tyranny of the Majority: Fundamental Fairness in Representative Democracy, she speaks of black government officials, saying:
“As role models, these black achievers presumptively represent equal opportunity. With few exceptions, their election signals that society’s institutions are ‘color-blind’ pure meritocracies” (57).
Some critics may be concerned to hear that a large portion of voters will cast ballots based on the candidate’s race. However, why should this be any less desirable of a voting determinant than the candidate’s personality or religion?
