Samuel Francis, American Renaissance, January 2001
If there is one pattern that emerges from the confused nationalelection of 2000, it is that race and ethnicity are the driving forcesin American politics today. An analysis of exit polls confirms that, sofar from evolving toward a “color-blind” society in which most citizensare indifferent to racial identity, Americans are voting along clearlydefined racial and ethnic lines. These voting patterns stronglysuggest, if they do not confirm, that racial consciousness is a majordeterminant of voting behavior and that political appeals to racialinterests and consciousness will continue to play a major role in thepolitics of the future.
The correlation of racial identity and voting behavior is most clearamong blacks, who voted overwhelmingly for Democratic presidentialcandidate Vice President Al Gore. Black voters, making up some 10percent of the electorate, supported Mr. Gore by 90 percent. While 85percent of black men supported Mr. Gore, his support among black womenwas even larger-a huge 94 percent. Nationally, about 19 percent-nearlyone in five-of Gore’s votes came from blacks.
For all the rhetoric among “new Republicans” about winningnon-whites, the lesson of the 2000 election for the GOP ought to beclear: Trying to win non-whites, especially by abandoning issuesimportant to white voters, is the road to political suicide; thenatural and logical strategy of the Republican Party in the future isto maximize its white vote.
The party* could accomplish this by supporting a long-termmoratorium on legal immigration, terminating welfare and other publicbenefits for immigrants, seeking the abolition of affirmative action,and working for the repeal of “hate crime” laws and the end ofmulti-culturalism. The Republicans could become and remain a majorityparty by seeking to raise white racial consciousness; they do not needto appeal to irrational racial fears and animosities, but they can andlegitimately should encourage white voters to (1) perceive that they asa group are under threat from racial and demographic trends and (2)believe that the Republican Party will support them against this threat.