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n2doc

(47,953 posts) Tue Jan 22, 2013, 11:10 AM Jan 2013

Paul Krugman- Seneca, Selma, and Stonewall

In his speech, Obama invoked the history of struggles for equality with a remarkable triptych: Seneca (women’s rights), Selma (black rights), and Stonewall (gay rights). And there has been remarkably little blowback — a sign of how much the country has changed.

What many people may not realize is how recent those changes are. Gay rights may be relatively obvious — it’s just 8 years since opposition to gay marriage arguably played a significant role in Bush’s victory. But the big changes on the racial front are also more recent than widely imagined (obligatory disclaimer — yes, there’s a lot of racism remaining, and it can be truly ugly; we’re just talking about relative changes). Here’s a poll trend that seems meaningful to me:

Republicans pine for the glory days of Ronald Reagan — but that was a different country, a county with a lot more raw racism, a country in which only a minority of Americans found interracial marriage acceptable. And yes, that had a lot to do with GOP political strength.

And I don’t think the right has a clue how to operate in the better nation we’ve become.

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/22/seneca-salem-and-stonewall/

6 replies

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Paul Krugman- Seneca, Selma, and Stonewall (Original Post) n2doc Jan 2013 OP

Wow. truebluegreen Jan 2013 #1

Amazing. In 1953 4% approved of mixed marriages. Now it is 86%. What a change! n/t pampango Jan 2013 #2

"And I don’t think the right has a clue how to operate in the better nation we’ve become." ProSense Jan 2013 #3

+1. nt bemildred Jan 2013 #4

Brad Blog: if 20% still disapprove of mixed marriages, 40% of republicans probably do and 60% of pampango Jan 2013 #5

30% of the country is batshit crazy n2doc Jan 2013 #6

truebluegreen

(9,033 posts)

1. Wow.

Reply to n2doc (Original post)

Tue Jan 22, 2013, 11:24 AM

Jan 2013

Less than 50% approval in the EARLY NINETIES? Holy Crap.

I thought we were better than that, even then. Thank Dog we are now. Onward.

pampango

(24,692 posts)

2. Amazing. In 1953 4% approved of mixed marriages. Now it is 86%. What a change! n/t

Reply to n2doc (Original post)

Tue Jan 22, 2013, 11:41 AM

Jan 2013

ProSense

(116,464 posts)

3. "And I don’t think the right has a clue how to operate in the better nation we’ve become."

Reply to n2doc (Original post)

Tue Jan 22, 2013, 12:49 PM

Jan 2013

This goes to show that the country is moving left, and leaving the RW nuts behind.

This also mirrors the trend in support for reproductive rights

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2237667

Krugman clearly liked the President's speech. His reaction is mentioned in this piece:

The Morning Plum: What Obama’s Inaugural tells us about the next four years
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022237800

bemildred

(90,061 posts)

4. +1. nt

Reply to n2doc (Original post)

Tue Jan 22, 2013, 03:49 PM

Jan 2013

pampango

(24,692 posts)

5. Brad Blog: if 20% still disapprove of mixed marriages, 40% of republicans probably do and 60% of

Reply to n2doc (Original post)

Thu Jan 24, 2013, 01:32 PM

Jan 2013

republican primary voters still disapprove of interracial marriages.

I suspect that some 6% disapprove of interracial marriage but won't tell the Gallup interviewer because they want to save their face--that 20% of Americans today disapprove of interracial marriage. That means that 40% of Republicans disapprove of interracial marriage, and thus that perhaps 60% of Republican primary voters really do not think as the rest of us Americans do.

That poses a huge problem for the Republican Party today. And we can see that problem reflected in--among other things--the tragedy of Mitt Romney.

http://delong.typepad.com/sdj/2013/01/the-curse-of-richard-nixon-republican-primary-electorate-edition.html

These percentages seem to be speculation on the part of the author, but do not seem too far-fetched.

As much as I would like to think that the whole country has moved on from the overt racism of the past, it would not be surprising that if the republican base was holding on to such views much more desperately than the rest of the country. If true, the republican primary could be an ugly affair again in 2016.

n2doc

(47,953 posts)

6. 30% of the country is batshit crazy

Reply to pampango (Reply #5)

Thu Jan 24, 2013, 01:46 PM

Jan 2013

And it is that same 30% that shows up in poll after poll. W-supporting, Clinton-hating, Birther, UN-Black Helecopter-fearing, Rush dittohead, Fox-watching, creationist, racist, fetus-worshipping IDIOTS.

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