Hating Half America

The Emmys were on last night. John Stewart, the fake news broadcaster, won one for writing. They also had a clip of Stewart saying,

[Michelle Obama] must prove she loves America, as opposed to Republicans, who everyone knows love America. They just hate half the people living in it

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Stewart said this sometime ago, but CBS repeating the words last night updates the comment to today. I think most of Stewart’s audience shares his perspective—Republicans hate half America. And if Republicans hate me, well, I can hate back. And I darn well better hate back!

Look at this Gallup Poll chart on Obama’s job approval (above). Draw a line below “conservative Democrat,” and notice how that line divides America. The nation is two-thirds non-Hispanic white. Add white Democrats to the non-white, Hispanic portion of our population showing at the top of chart, and you have the “half” Stewart probably believes Republicans “hate.” It’s an oversimplification, but so is much of politics.

Of course, as a group, Republicans don’t hate non-whites. White independents and Republicans, in fact, are troubled by the mostly white national elite. This elite thinks that because Republicans are racist, their Democrats are the only party able to represent non-whites. This elite thinking works, because non-whites see only limited evidence Republicans and conservatives care about them.

So Stewart gets away with preaching race-based hatred. And he will continue to do so, as long as Republicans fail to compete effectively for Hispanic and Asian-American votes.