The dividing factor

Just in time for Black History Month, a study of black political engagement.

It’s February and you know what that means. Instant pandering.

Photo by Unseen Histories on Unsplash

It sounds like a lament from a seemingly unlikely source:

The 2020 presidential election saw record voter turnout, but there was still a very noticeable gap in participation between white Americans (71%) and black Americans (63%). This year, black voters will account for around 14% of the national electorate, and if past election results are any indicator, their votes will skew heavily toward incumbent president Joe Biden.

I’ve never quite figured out why WalletHub cares about this, since their website beseeches you to “take your finances to the next level” but apparently they do care. Maybe they have a larger share of black customers?

Anyway, while they miss out on the top 10, Delaware ranks 12th in their survey, which combines the aspects of black voter turnout in the 2020 Presidential and 2022 midterm elections, black voter registration at those same points, and proportional black representation in the House. Based on that, Delaware may fall out of the top 20 next year as LBR leaves the House behind (hopefully for the unemployment line.)

Originally I had placed the e-mail alerting me to the study in the trash, but after having it stick in my craw for a couple hours I fished it back out.

You know, I would love to have 100% voter turnout - provided those voters are properly informed on the candidates and issues. I don’t care if the voters are black, white, yellow, red, brown, or purple with orange polka dots: just cast your votes on Election Day (unless you qualify for an absentee ballot) using a voter ID, with a method where we can have the results by midnight - none of this “let’s stop counting at 10:30 and pick up in the morning” foolishness.

I don’t think that black people want something significantly different than that. Granted, they may have a different political philosophy than I do but that’s why we vote for representatives to express our desires in legislative bodies and a President that we all can (hopefully) at least respect, if not stand completely behind.

So why is it a big deal to some that black people do some things differently or just not as much as other people?

I guess I still have that old-school mentality where we were supposed to judge people by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. When you think about it, they probably have the same sort of data for all races and genders, and some of those are above average and some will be below. That’s just the way life goes.

But the fact they single out one race for distinction because they don’t compare favorably with another is the reason this gnawed on my for a few days until I could get to it and put it here - not because the data is all that important or surprising, but it maintains the division we don’t need when our national motto is E Pluribus Unum.

If WalletHub wants to be comprehensive, give us all the data and don’t single one group out. Don’t be a divider.

Until next time, remember you can Buy Me a Coffee since I have a page there.