Five Key Takeaways From Frank Rich's Column

Frank Rich's latest column may be, to Obama-philes, like the feel-good op-ed of the year, but I'm just glad to see Rich taking the election results and demonstrating how many assumptions about the American electorate can now be put to rest:

Good Bye, Bradley Effect:

The most conspicuous clichés to fall, of course, were the twin suppositions that a decisive number of white Americans wouldn't vote for a black presidential candidate -- and that they were lying to pollsters about their rampant racism. But the polls were accurate. There was no "Bradley effect." A higher percentage of white men voted for Obama than any Democrat since Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton included.

Detente In The War Against 'Elites':

Obama also won all four of those hunting-and-Hillary-loving Rust Belt states that became 2008's obsession among slumming upper-middle-class white journalists: Pennsylvania and Michigan by double digits, as well as Ohio and even Indiana, which has gone Democratic only once (1964) since 1936.

Not So Monolithic:

And what about all those terrified Jews who reportedly abandoned their progressive heritage to buy into the smears libeling Obama as an Israel-hating terrorist? Obama drew a larger percentage of Jews nationally (78) than Kerry had (74) and -- mazel tov, Sarah Silverman! -- won Florida.

Let's defend Hispanic-Americans, too, while we're at it. In one of the more notorious observations of the campaign year, a Clinton pollster, Sergio Bendixen, told The New Yorker in January that "the Hispanic voter -- and I want to say this very carefully -- has not shown a lot of willingness or affinity to support black candidates." Let us say very carefully that a black presidential candidate won Latinos -- the fastest-growing demographic in the electorate -- 67 percent to 31 (up from Kerry's 53-to-44 edge and Gore's 62-to-35).

The Youth Vote Won't Be Dismissed:

Young voters also triumphed over the condescension of the experts. "Are they going to show up?" Cokie Roberts of ABC News asked in February. "Probably not. They never have before. By the time November comes, they'll be tired." In fact they turned up in larger numbers than in 2004, and their disproportionate Democratic margin made a serious difference, as did their hard work on the ground.

My Personal Favorite:

Even the North Carolina county where Palin expressed her delight at being in the "real America" went for Obama by more than 18 percentage points.

But, I'd still point out one big caveat that looms within all the good news:

Though Rove's promised "permanent Republican majority" lies in humiliating ruins, his and Bush's one secure legacy will be their demagogic exploitation of homophobia. The success of the four state initiatives banning either same-sex marriage or same-sex adoptions was the sole retro trend on Tuesday. And Obama, who largely soft-pedaled the issue this year, was little help. In California, where other races split more or less evenly on a same-sex marriage ban, some 70 percent of black voters contributed to its narrow victory.

There's much to celebrate in our, perhaps, more perfect union, but let's not toast its perfection just yet.

Comments

[lovethesinner]

LGBT need to do outreach to latino and black communities. Otherwise, Karl Rove will be able to use it as a wedge to break up our new coalition. And someone needs to have a talk with Gavin Newsome. His braggadocio made powerful footage for the mormons.

There needs to be a strategy to bring the communities together, and one for making the issues less threatening in the national media.

We need to make it cool to be intolerant of INTOLERANCE.

[Dave01]

As a WHITE gay man, people truly need to STOP blaming Blacks for the passage of Prop. 8. Blacks only make up 6% of the vote. So what if 70% of them voted in favor of Prop 8. Had EVERY one of them voted against Prop. 8 it STILL would have passed. The fact is, Whites make up 78% of the vote and more than 50% of them voted in favor of it.

If we want to blame anyone, we need to blame the leadership (or lack thereof), the disorganization of Prop. 8 opponents, and ourselves. The Prop. 8 commercials came out were, a) WAY TOO EARLY, b) POORLY FRAMED. Not once did I see an advertisement through the entire campaign of any gay couples with their children, asking them to protect THEIR children from delegitimizing their family.

I do believe that this will be overturned by the courts but STOP blaming Blacks.

[wagthedog1001]

Thanks, Dave. Good comment. Plenty are to "blame." It's just plain old prejudice. In time this to shall pass. Thanks for being an adult.

[Dave01]

:)

[Stud99]

I don't blame black for prop 8, but they are just following there religous beliefs. So what. All these people protesting the Mormans should go protest in Compton.

[Dave01]

Yesterday in San Diego we had about 10,000 protesters march down one of the main streets which tied up traffic for hours. Today we had a couple of hundred show up to protest outside the Mormon Temple. The reason for the low turnout today was because many in the gay community here in San Diego attend church themselves. Granted most are not Mormons, but nonetheless they simply don't believe in targeting one specific group (again this is just here in San Diego, it is much different in other areas of the state.)

[SerenityStar]

Um, yeah. Not all black people live in Compton.

[ElTommo]

I think the blame really lays on all our shoulders. I think we all seriously underestimated the possibility of Prop 8's success. I think that many of us believed that given the increases in Democratic registration, the political winds quickly shifting to the left, and California's overwhelming support for Obama in polls throughout the general election season would carry us to an easy victory, and little resistance was really put forth against the Proposition.

Hopefully the legal challenges issued over the past week will succeed in reversing this further insult to California's history as a leader among the states in regards to acceptance, diversity, and equality.

[mom2sons]

Thank you for stating this. The professor on Rachel's show stated that they did not reach out to the black community on this. They knew this would be on the ballot and needed to start early and frame the issues as a civil rights issue. Yes, many black people are conservatives, especially the church folk, but if it would have been framed correctly, they would have had a better chance. I'm tired of seeing the trashing of black folks on this issue. The black church has lagged behind on discussing this issue and the HIV/AIDS issue in church. They need to become more progressive. Some of failing big time in this regard. I have no doubt that this will be overturned, but you can't take it for granted that this issue was going to be won just on Obama's coattails. You have got to do the work, especially among older black voters. They didn't do their homework.

[grailknight]

Great jouranlsim! Using someone else's column to fill the quota!

[Tom Payned]

I really reveled in Frank's op ed piece, he gave voice so eloquently to thoughts I'd had for many of the dark days of the Bush era.

As for Gay Marriages, I don't get it. MA still has and CA did have gay marriages. Did it affect me in any way? Not that I'm aware of. Did my marriage change? No.

I'm old enough to remember the south with "separate but equal" which was not equal although it was separate, it was illegal in many states for a white woman& black man to marry. I worked with a lady that left Georgia & moved to San Diego because she had the temerity to marry a black man, who was serving in the Marine Corp as a drill Sargent. It was okay for a black man to risk his life for his country, for protecting Americans, including white women, but not for him to share the same rights as those who never served.

While I am proud of my country for electing a black man, I am ashamed of many of my fellow citizens for making gays second class citizens. I'm great ashamed by California for taking away a right that had been granted to gays, for voting for the first time in my life time, to amend the constitution to include bigotry.

I hope I live long enough to see the gays have the same rights that blacks eventually achieved. With the next generation, I think I will.

[NotMcCain]

Yes, and don't forget the common theme, "The pundits' negative assertions were WRONG."

(And one he didn't mention--thta nearly half of the voters earning over $100,000 ALSO voted for Obama!)

Love that you spotlighted Riche's column. It's one of his best.

[CitizenInformed]

Rich's article is one of the best articles I've read so far on what Obama's victory means.

It's as if we have been liberated from an 8-year psychologically abusive relationship. Our self-esteem as a nation has been renewed.

[jOke]

Frank Rich is brilliant.­.

[SteveDenver]

I applaud the youth vote. In Denver, two prominent local band celeb's roused their fans to register and vote. One local bar, popular with artists and bicycle messengers, chartered a double-decker bus to whisk voters the polls and back to the bar.

As for Blacks and homophobia, there are baby steps occurring. In the 80s and 90s, condemnation of homosexuality in the church led to closeted Black gays and skyrocketing STDs. Many young Blacks are rejecting the intolerant voice of churches, much as Catholicism sees its rolls dwindling as young members walk away.

Jesse Jackson put it best in the last electoral cycle when he asked how many congregants were affected by weak schools, teen pregnancy, unaffordable healthcare and drugs, and high unemployment, and they responded vociferously. Then he asked how many people's homes were being ripped apart because two gay men lived on their street, and nobody responded.

There are still many Blacks bothered by interracial marriage. Education and conversation is the key.

[jll2008]

Rich restated the obvious, about the election; but, in my opinion, also made us look like victims: "For eight years, we’ve been told by those in power that we are small, bigoted and stupid — easily divided and easily frightened­." ...as though we had no choice but to cow to the administration. If interested, you can read my full comment at: http://contrarianbitch.blogspot.com/

[mikemiami]

Your rant is a waste of time and your smugness is a huge turn off. Sorry.

[jll2008]

You're right....i­t did come off as smug - not my intention - but it is completely frustrating that people didn't utilize the power they had/have to actively protest. I just hope people stay engaged now.

[QuietLightTraveler]

I think the gay marriage thing will have a hard time when it is put up for vote. Too many people view marriage as a traditional union of a man and woman and don't want that changed.. Personally I think that being gay is not a choice and I have no problem with it. But most people realize that neither was it nature's intention. Sexual attraction was nature's way of encouraging procreation. So naturally many people are not going to view homosexuality as "normal" and therefore would be resistant to change their idea of what the tradition of marriage is. Frankly, I don't understand why it's so important to gay people to be able to marry. Hell, Ive been married a couple of times and I can't say that I reccomend it.

[GuyFawkes]

What was that Howard Stern line?

"If gay people want to be married and as miserable as straight people, let them!"

[Miss Lola]

If people knew the true history of marriage-for business reasons-they wouldn't get worked up.

Amazing-my gay friends have been with their partners for years and years. It's my STRAIGHT friends who husband/wife and boyfriend/­girlfriend hop!

Who is a greater threat to marriage? Ellen DeGeneres, or Newt, or heaven help us, the 3 times divorced RUSH????

[bascombe]

there is a run on guns in texas and elsewhere.

be afraid.

[Miss Lola]

In GA, they are saying guns are flying off the shelves.

Great-this is a state with a law permitting concealed weapons (some idiot state legislator was going to sue the city of Atlanta and Hartsfield-Jax Airport to carry his gun on the property..­.but dropped it).

So, watch the road rage--the fool ranting just may have seven guns in his truck!

[slc1950]

This will be the next battle.

[tyrdofwaitin]

I like a lot of what Frank Rich writes, but I think he stumbled seriously in cherry-picking the 70,000 black folks who voted for Proposition 8: Black folks who voted YES for Prop 8 were were just over 1% of the total 5,669,000. Is there some reason Mr. Rich singled-out African Americans for particular mention? Shame! Shame! Shame!

[WillCooney]

I think it shameful that African-Americans would want to deny civil rights to a repressed group. I know lot's of gay people (myslf included) who worked for the Cvil Rights movement and, cheered theit victory.

[SteveDenver]

I agree with you: SHAME on 70,000 black folks who voted for Proposition 8.

Only recently have the final laws barring marriage between people of mixed skin color been repealed and it galls me that 70,000 black folks have now taken up the same rod that was laid across their backs. Shame!

[NotMcCain]

This is just a Republican talking point.

There was very little education or ads against Prop8. For any cultures thinking that "it is about restoring traditional marriage" or that it's wrong for children to be taught about gay marriage in kindergarten and first grade"....­it would be easy to vote for it.

The "No" peoplel did a lousy job of getting their message out--maybe because politicians were mostly too timid to help. Or maybe they didn't have enough money.

Either way, it was easy to see why it won. I'm just surprised the margin was so close.

[Miss Lola]

The Mormon Church invested a LOT of money into getting Prop 8 passed.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Frank Rich is by far the best columnist in this country. His ability to analysis the current human condition in this country is par excellence.

[bascombe]

he stopped drinking the koolaid a couple of years ago

[lennix]

what the gays need to do is sat down with black leaders not pastors but go stright to the black nighbor hoods and get them educated about how this is the same thing they went though that the gays are going though now i am a 54 year old black man and my baby brother was gay god rest his soul and i loved him just like the rest of my brothers and a whole lot of blacks have gay family members and thier are a lot of gays in black churchs this is another way to go don"t let the msm or this vote stop you blacks will listen and understand yes it"s fools in every race one thing i do know that blacks will listen just go around the church and right to the people and we can make it happen

[TheHandyman]

Can you explain to me why a Gay should have to explain to a Black anything about discrimination any more than a black should ever have had to explain to a White why slavery was wrong? Gays owe no explanation to anyone about their being gay. The right to marry is not a right that should be granted to them, it is a right they are already guarenteed by the 9th amendment to the Constitution just as Blacks were guaranteed freedom under that same Constitution. Humans have all rights. What happens is that there are always people who don't want other humans to exercise those rights for their own selfish reason. One of those reasons is their religion. Blacks voted their religion and religion got them to vote that way by lying to them. Science says Gayness is genetic, not choice. Religion pushes choice to scare people into thinking that their children will become gay if exposed to the knowledge of gayness. BS! Only willfully ignorant and/or uneducated people buy that crap.

It took a war and 100 years to get to the point where Blacks were able to exercise that which was already theirs. By now we should all understand that if we are who we say we are then there can be no discrimination by or against anybody for any reason!

[SerenityStar]

I don't think lennix was saying that gays should have to explain themselves to African-Am­ericans...­just that, given the high rates of anti-gay sentiment in the A-A community, it might be a good idea to reach out to the black community. And for the record, black people are often told that they have a responsibility to educate non-blacks on matters relating to discrimination. That's just the way it works.