I assert that there is a not insignificant number of White voters who, given the choice, would prefer a White candidate primarily because he/she is White .
This group would form a core constituency for many candidates.
However, it's perfectly natural and reasonable that you give your own some benefit of the doubt, whatever "your own" means to you. Hopefully, cultural identification shouldn't trump issues in picking candidates, but it's totally reasonable to favor your own a bit.
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Article comments
1 - andy marsh
P6 - considering that I've been reading the Keyes thread, I'm looking forward to see where this one goes! Personally, I pick issues.
2 - Jason Koulouras
I think it is unfortunate and misguided for someone's vote to be influenced in any way shape or form by race or gender. People need to focus on issues and potential outcomes not surface differences
Cheers
Jason
3 - P6
Unfortunate, misguided...but true?
4 - RJ
"I assert that there is a not insignificant number of White voters who, given the choice, would prefer a White candidate primarily because he/she is White."
Of course. And the same goes for black voters and black candidates, and Hispanic voters and Hispanic candidates...
It's human nature, for better or for worse, to identify with those who are more like you.
5 - P6
RJ:
I got two white guys—three now—to back up my assertion.
How many Black guys you got backing you on ANYTHING?
How about Hispanic folks? Got any of them?
6 - P6
By the way:
Human nature does NOI determine what characteristics you use to decide who is "more like you."
Pretty sad to settle on mere cosmetics.
7 - P6
The typo (NOI vs NOT) is amusing.
8 - andy marsh
P6 - You say it's not human nature, wouldn't that be a true statement only for a truly informed voter? I believe that there are probably to many voters that vote only based on looks or skin color. Sort of like the person that picks football teams in the pool based on the color of the uniforms!
9 - P6
Natural for unthinking people?
First of all, it's not human nature to use cosmetics as a defining characteristic. We do so for historical reasons and voting, as a subset of what we do for historical reasons, falls right in there.
It is not natural. It is very, very contingent.
This is not rational or reasoned behavior. It is patterned behavior, which many confuse with logic because logic is also patterned behavior.
10 - Yensid
Yeah, color means nothing to me. I would vote for a black man in a heartbeat if he was the right man. Go Barak Obama!!!
11 - Hal Pawluk
RJ is right in #4 - it is human nature.
But it's not a black-and-white issue (is that a pun?).
The tendency exists, and a candidate who belongs to a particular group will likely get more attention - and more unearned votes - from his group, but the entire group will not vote for him.
In my district, for instance, my House Representative is white guy Richard Dreier but I'd prefer a green Martian any day.
12 - boomcrashbaby
When two candidates run against each other, even for the same party nomination, they never have 100% exact ideologies, so there will always be one I prefer over the other based on that.
Assuming the hypthetical situation of two candidates running beside each other, with EXACTLY the same platform, and one being (openly) gay and one being straight - if it was a conservative platform on civil rights, I would vote for the straight person. If it were a progressive platform on civil rights, I would vote for the gay person. That is the only way I can think of that orientation would matter, and again it is a situation that could never occur.
The reason I would vote that way would be cultural identification. A conservative platform is always harmful to minority groups civil rights. Always. And I would not support a member of a minority group who promotes a false ideology. i.e. an ideology that punishes for not adhering to 'values' that the candidate does not adhere to either.
For the progressive situation, where the candidates were pro-gay rights, I would go for the gay person, again for cultural identifcation. If the platforms were the same, then I would go on the assumption that the gay candidate has a better understanding of the discrimination and violence that I have faced in my life. The straight candidate could only read about it.
Such a situation would never happen for me though.
13 - RJ
"A conservative platform is always harmful to minority groups civil rights."
I strongly dispute that, but the rest of your comment was enlightening...
14 - RJ
"In my district, for instance, my House Representative is white guy Richard Dreier but I'd prefer a green Martian any day."
Heh...
So you'd support an illegal alien for Congress? :)
15 - Hashim
why is it misguided? Someone who has the same background as me tends to have the smae sensibilities and concerns. That's what makes race a huge factor.