The good folks at the Field Poll have been quiet recently. Other than a poll about the national health care debate, they hadn’t released much since back before the May 19 debacle at the end of April.
However, today, they’ve decided to present the Republicans with some solid evidence of their worst nightmare: an electorate controlled by minorities (PDF). Using some data from various sources the numbers are pretty much as you would expect, the numbers of Latinos and Asians in both the general populace and the voting booths are up, while the numbers of African-Americans and whites are down. Given the lengths that the Republicans have gone to alienate immigrants, these numbers cannot be good for them.
Of course, whites are still very over represented in the voting booths, but much of that is from one very discouraging fact. Despite all the hubub about Barack Obama activating the youth to engage, and get involved, the California electorate is now older than it was in 1978. Of course, much of this has to do with the fact that people live longer than they did in 1978. Medical technology and understanding of health has increased substantially. But while we have come a long way in activating young voters, there is always a lot of work yet to be done.
All news is not rosy when looking back over the last 30 years for the Democratic Party. For example, when loo9king at registration, the rapid increase of Decline to State Voters has come almost exclusively from the Democratic column. In 1978, Dem registration was at 56.6%, whereas it is now at 44.6%. DTS registration is up 12 points to 20, Republican registration is down 3.2 points to 31, and “Other” is up 3 points to 4.4.
Many voters simply don’t take party affiliation as seriously as they used did back in 1978, and the Dems were always more of a big tent than the ideologically rigid GOP. And the DTS generally break towards the Dem candidate and/or position. So, perhaps this isn’t that serious, but it certainly is stark.
But, in the main, let’s see the GOP keep up this anti-immigrant thing, and see how it works for you as these patterns continue.
“…Republicans with some solid evidence of their worst nightmare: an electorate controlled by minorities.”
Republicans love an electorate controlled by the top 1% of income earners.
DTS voters are allowed to vote in Dem primaries (tho not Republican primaries), so they can still have a say in who the Dems pick for electeds.
That makes the main difference (from a DTS voter’s perspective) the ability to vote for County Committees and internal party offices and reps. And how many Dems even bother to do that?
Why would you expect anyone to sign up with a party anyways? Most Californians don’t identify with either party. For purposes of the two party system we have, though, what matters is who votes for either party–not who is registered with any of the parties.
Response to Calitics and Demographic Changes article
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Response to “Calitics and Demographic Changes article”
for copy of article and full report see:
http://calitics.com/diary/…
http://field.com/fieldpollonli… for “Field Study findings”
Demographics of California Are A-Changing
by: Brian Leubitz
Tue Aug 04, 2009 at 07:38:18 AM PDT
Response to “Calitics and Demographic Changes article”
08/05/2009 8:30:19 AM
© Lydia G Sanchez Bracamonte
There are number of Serious errors in this article.
First: it speaks of voters and registration of Latinos then refers to them as immigrants.
If they are voters then they are citizens.
This is a bone of contention for the Hispanic/Latino/Mexican/Chicano community as we are constantly being challenged when our Elected officials win an election. We are accused of winning these election because we have somehow committed voter fraud. And then they waist our funds and tie us up in court only for us to prove them wrong. But do we get press when we win on this issue to vindicate our candidates. No.
The reality is that the Latino/ Mexican.Chicano population in the southwest in particular, as with the Native American (First people) is that we have historically been treated as ‘New comers” in their own land. When the ugly head or racism is in our communities we hear shouts from the anti immigrant factions screaming “Go back from where you came” or “Go Home” But the reality is that we are Home. We were here 38,000 year ago, and for more than 500 years we have lived as outsiders in our own lands.under
The fact that we are more active today in the area of voting and registering voters; and participating as citizens is great. But we are far from homogeneous in our thinking. Some of us as a form of survival, negate our circumstances – economically. Some of us identify with the dominate conservative bend ideologically, in an attempte to be ‘accepted and in hopes become more “American.” This is done despite the fact that it is clearly against our interests to identify with the conservative political thinkers.
As for the African American community, we need to work with the leadership to increase voter registration and participation; Then Together we must work to push for positive progressive change.
I believe a great point in the report is that the educational levels are up and that is good. I feel that there is an aspect of the changing face of California that is not evident but should also factor in. We are becoming more and more a multiracial society. As the younger generations are less concerned about the color of their partners skin, we see more integration and as a result the lines between color are eliminated.
We have a great deal of integration in California. And as a result there are more Black/Hispanic mixes. This is an important point to note as the color lines are eliminated. The Racist tactics by police agencies including ICE(INS-Homeland Security begin to affect all people with color in their skin. We have all become suspects in our own land. And as a result the affects of the violence is broader.
So the issue of how ICE/INS acts in communities of color is not just a concern with the “immigrant population” but of all people of color as the INS/ICE Homeland Security and the police forces generally look at us all as one in the same. That is why there are so many law suites against Homeland Security.
They have attempted to permeate our communities with xenophobic hysteria, that immigrants are the same as drug dealers, that the migration from the City to rural communities is a result of gang migration. Where ICE can, they are attempting to ‘very quietly’ recruit Dr’s, Teachers, superintendents of schools, city officials to seek out ‘illegals (sic)’, report them, or detain them. The Agency argues that this should be a patriotic duty. What they are asking is that these officials ignore their duty as educators, and to disregard their Medical Hippocratic oaths to do ICES bidding. They consort to disrupt our communities and slowly strive to convert our nation into a militaristic state.
But the communities of color are on to them and we are working to put a stop by reporting their abuse, and calling the State and federal officials with our own findings, and filing lawsuits. Communities across the US – especially in rural America are affected and now actively working against this Bush/Cheney legacy.
But the communities of color are on to them and we are working to put a stop by reporting their abuse, and calling the State and federal officials with our own findings, and filing lawsuits. Communities across the US – especially in rural America are affected and now active against this.