There are a number of surprises here that should hearten the GOP, and three in particular.
The 18 - 29 year olds ___________________
Hillary got 54% against only 37 % for Trump. 9 % presumably went to 3rd parties
However, against Obama, Romney got roughly the same 37 % as Trump, but Obama got 60 %. That's 6 % better than Hillary.
Blacks ________________________________
Hillary got 88 % against 8 % for Trump. However, Trump did very slightly better than Romney and got 8 % (a rounded off figure). But, in that 2012, Obama got 93 %. . . .5% better than Hillary.
Hispanics --------------------------------------------
Hillary got 65 % against 29 % for Trump. However, in 2012 Romney got 26 % and Obama got 71 %.
Again, Hillary found herself 7 % under what Obama had gotten and -- surprise, surprise -- Trump got 29 %. Stated another way: the spread between the GOP and the Dems was 44 % in 2012, but only
36 % in 2016. The Hispanics, it seems, are like every other American. They want jobs. Now Trump will have to deliver.
Muslims _______________________________
Muslims voted 13 % for Trump and 74 % for Hillary. That 74 % doesn't look bad compared to the 54 % (18 - 29 year olds), or the 88 % (blacks), or the 65 % (Hispanics). Trump was never going to get the black vote, or the Latino vote. And, certainly not the Muslim vote.
But, here's what's unbelievable: 13 % Muslims voted for Trump. That's almost twice as many as voted for Romney. And, while 74 % is an awfully good number, it doesn't match the 88 % the blacks gave her. This number suggests that a growing number of Muslims now see America as their country and they decided that Trump would be better for America's interests.
Republicans will probably never get the black vote. Consider the case of the late Mayor of Washington DC, Marion Barry. The man was known by the community to consort with prostitutes. He was an acknowledged drug user. He had been sent to prison for 6 mos. for violating the public trust. Nevertheless, the community returned him to office again and again. That's loyalty.
Be that as it may, the slightly greater number achieved by Trump makes clear that the GOP must continue to make its case to the African American community. Trump's comment during the election campaign was "what have you got to lose?" Now, he's got to show them what he can bring to their community.
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Monday, November 21, 2016
Islamaphobia
Islamaphobia -- an unwarranted fear of Islam. Unwarranted? Really?
The problem is that few know what islam is. Sure, women wearing burkas are generally Muslim. Yes, and like very observant Jews, the men often wear skull caps and sport beards. But are these people a threat?
Keith Ellison, the Representative from Minnesota exemplifies the problem of understanding what a Muslim is. Although, he now soft pedals his entry into Islam -- he converted to Islam from Catholicism at an early age -- records make clear that it was the Nation of Islam (NOI) to which he converted. Today, he doesn't talk much about the NOI and identifies himself more with Islam in general. Is this relevant?
Well, yes. NOI, now under the leadership of Rev. Louis Farrakhan, is an American version of Islam. By that I mean, if you trace it's origins, it was created to serve the emotional and theological needs of African Americans. A great many African Americans first encountered this form of Islam in prison. And, indeed, in many cases it made the converts into better, more positively directed people. However, in their theology they demonize white people and they have great hostility to Jews. It was when Malcolm X sought to find an Islamic path away from Farrakhan that he was murdered. This is not a form of Islam that a non-African American would associate themselves with. And, yet, NOI members seem to pose no threat to non-NOI Americans.
Over the years, Muslims like others have come to American seeking a better life. And, with time many have drifted to secularism. Catholics, Protestant and Jews have also drifted to a secular way of life. They will show allegiance to their religion, but they become less observant of the theological requirements. Catholics will practice birth control, Jews will often work on Saturday and enjoy Chinese cuisine, and Protestants will often remain unaffiliated with any Protestant Church.
Recent immigrants from Europe will generally bring their religious affiliation with them. However, Europeans also have become more secular. Among recent immigrants, it is the Muslims who largely believe that assimilation is something to be avoided. Over the years, a great Muslims immigrated to American from Lebanon. There were also Christians, Chaldeans, and other groups from that part of the world. The largest mosque in Dearborn, MI, is a Shia mosque. The Sunnis also have a mosque in nearby. There have been acts of vandalism between members of the two mosques, but that seems to have been something in the past.
The problem faced by Muslims who refuse assimilation, and the responsibilities that come with American citizenship is the continuation of Middle East practices that are illegal in the U.S. Polygamy is one such practice. Honor killings of noncompliant daughters, while infrequent, still crops up from time to time.
From what I have personally witnessed, Sunni Muslims and Shia Muslims do not have a very high regard for one another. Is that good or bad? I don't know, but it's what I've observed.
There are further distinctions between Muslims. Kurds, for example, are largely Sunni and yet they differ from Iraqi Sunnis. To begin with they speak a Turkic language, not Arabic. Also, their attitude towards women is more western that that of other Muslims.
Probably the most problematic Muslims, from an American point of view, are the Salafists. These are Muslims who wish to live much as Mohammed lived. That's a problem. The cultural mores in today's American society have little in common with the mores found in the days of Mohammed. Muslims, coming under the influence of Salafists, are the ones most likely to come under the influence of ISIS. The Wahhabis of Saudi Arabia are essentially Salafists. However, they have been kept in check by the rulers of Saudi Arabia, who realize that while Salafists might be countenanced in Saudi Arabia, it doesn't travel well outside the kingdom.
I should make mention of the Ahmadiyya, who refer to themselves as Muslims, but are not so regarded by other Muslims. These are great people and love American ways.
Then there are the Sufi. I mention them only because they they should not be confused with Salafists. Sufis strive to improve themselves through meditation. I might add that what we refer to as whirling dervishes are in fact Sufis.
I don't with to end on a sour note, but except for the Kurds, the Ahmadiyya and very possible the Sufis, most Muslims don't think that Jews should have a country; at least not in the Middle East.
The careful reader will realize that I haven't mentioned the Quran. Islam actually rests on three writings; namely the Quran, the Hadith and the Sunnah. These books are the same for all Muslims. Since we can see that there are different sorts of Muslims, it should be apparent that Muslims pay greater attention to some parts of these books than to other parts. Yes, I understand that all parts of a book such as the Quran should be given equal weight. But, when sections can be read differently, this becomes a problem. In fact, a great deal of picking and choosing goes on.
The problem is that few know what islam is. Sure, women wearing burkas are generally Muslim. Yes, and like very observant Jews, the men often wear skull caps and sport beards. But are these people a threat?
Keith Ellison, the Representative from Minnesota exemplifies the problem of understanding what a Muslim is. Although, he now soft pedals his entry into Islam -- he converted to Islam from Catholicism at an early age -- records make clear that it was the Nation of Islam (NOI) to which he converted. Today, he doesn't talk much about the NOI and identifies himself more with Islam in general. Is this relevant?
Well, yes. NOI, now under the leadership of Rev. Louis Farrakhan, is an American version of Islam. By that I mean, if you trace it's origins, it was created to serve the emotional and theological needs of African Americans. A great many African Americans first encountered this form of Islam in prison. And, indeed, in many cases it made the converts into better, more positively directed people. However, in their theology they demonize white people and they have great hostility to Jews. It was when Malcolm X sought to find an Islamic path away from Farrakhan that he was murdered. This is not a form of Islam that a non-African American would associate themselves with. And, yet, NOI members seem to pose no threat to non-NOI Americans.
Over the years, Muslims like others have come to American seeking a better life. And, with time many have drifted to secularism. Catholics, Protestant and Jews have also drifted to a secular way of life. They will show allegiance to their religion, but they become less observant of the theological requirements. Catholics will practice birth control, Jews will often work on Saturday and enjoy Chinese cuisine, and Protestants will often remain unaffiliated with any Protestant Church.
Recent immigrants from Europe will generally bring their religious affiliation with them. However, Europeans also have become more secular. Among recent immigrants, it is the Muslims who largely believe that assimilation is something to be avoided. Over the years, a great Muslims immigrated to American from Lebanon. There were also Christians, Chaldeans, and other groups from that part of the world. The largest mosque in Dearborn, MI, is a Shia mosque. The Sunnis also have a mosque in nearby. There have been acts of vandalism between members of the two mosques, but that seems to have been something in the past.
The problem faced by Muslims who refuse assimilation, and the responsibilities that come with American citizenship is the continuation of Middle East practices that are illegal in the U.S. Polygamy is one such practice. Honor killings of noncompliant daughters, while infrequent, still crops up from time to time.
From what I have personally witnessed, Sunni Muslims and Shia Muslims do not have a very high regard for one another. Is that good or bad? I don't know, but it's what I've observed.
There are further distinctions between Muslims. Kurds, for example, are largely Sunni and yet they differ from Iraqi Sunnis. To begin with they speak a Turkic language, not Arabic. Also, their attitude towards women is more western that that of other Muslims.
Probably the most problematic Muslims, from an American point of view, are the Salafists. These are Muslims who wish to live much as Mohammed lived. That's a problem. The cultural mores in today's American society have little in common with the mores found in the days of Mohammed. Muslims, coming under the influence of Salafists, are the ones most likely to come under the influence of ISIS. The Wahhabis of Saudi Arabia are essentially Salafists. However, they have been kept in check by the rulers of Saudi Arabia, who realize that while Salafists might be countenanced in Saudi Arabia, it doesn't travel well outside the kingdom.
I should make mention of the Ahmadiyya, who refer to themselves as Muslims, but are not so regarded by other Muslims. These are great people and love American ways.
Then there are the Sufi. I mention them only because they they should not be confused with Salafists. Sufis strive to improve themselves through meditation. I might add that what we refer to as whirling dervishes are in fact Sufis.
I don't with to end on a sour note, but except for the Kurds, the Ahmadiyya and very possible the Sufis, most Muslims don't think that Jews should have a country; at least not in the Middle East.
The careful reader will realize that I haven't mentioned the Quran. Islam actually rests on three writings; namely the Quran, the Hadith and the Sunnah. These books are the same for all Muslims. Since we can see that there are different sorts of Muslims, it should be apparent that Muslims pay greater attention to some parts of these books than to other parts. Yes, I understand that all parts of a book such as the Quran should be given equal weight. But, when sections can be read differently, this becomes a problem. In fact, a great deal of picking and choosing goes on.
Saturday, November 12, 2016
The Racism That's Emerged In This Latest Presidential Campaign (Charlie Rose)
I woke up this Friday morning and caught a bit of the end of the Charlie Rose show. There I saw Doris Kearns-Goodwin, Cokie Roberts, Walter Isaacson and Kurt Anderson discuss with Charlie Rose what might be taken away from this election. Some excellent points were made. Others not so excellent.
The best was that we, today, are in a technology revolution. The effects of this revolution are no less profound than were those of the industrial revolution; especially, on how it impacts American workers and, in fact, workers throughout the world. Not all good paying jobs went overseas. But, undoubtedly some of the worst jobs did go overseas. Just as agriculture, in Andrew Jackson's day, accounted for roughly 80% of our GDP, the industrial jobs in time began to made up a large portion of our GDP. These jobs are now giving way to service jobs and jobs in healthcare.
The effect of this on America's workers is almost as awful as the as the industrial revolution was on workers of that day. Ultimately, these revolution greatly improve the quality of everyone's lives, but they are hell on the workers when they are in the process of taking place.
What do we tell our workers? That we are going to retrain them? Do you really expect to retrain workers in their late 40's and early 50's. We must find and establish programs to help these workers, but it is not the intention of this blog posting to make such suggestions here and now. Rather it is to point out what happens when such changes take place.
Racism and anti-Semitism (closely allied phenomena) are likely to arise. People find it convenient to scape goat someone, or some group, for their unhappiness. After the Civil War, these unworthy people, the blacks -- unworthy in the eyes of the lower class -- were taking away their livelihood. It wasn't fair. Who were these blacks to strive for jobs that weren't available even to whites? Add to that, blacks could go to a college and generally get a scholarship through affirmative action. These routes to a higher education are generally unavailable to whites. Turn on your TV and what do you see? You see more black people reading the weather reports and commenting on news channels. And, what of the black kids from the family of a wealthy automobile distributor, or from the family of a successful liquor distributor. Aren't they also getting scholarships simply because their color? And, then you have the Jews, people who always seem able to push their way to the head of the line.
What I find surprising is that while we have both racism and anti-Semitism. They are currently at a low level. Nevertheless, exceptions exist. College campuses are one such exception. Here you can now find rampant anti-Semitism. This, however, is fueled largely by pro-Palestinian activists and left oriented instructors and students. Such campus activists are often well funded and can make life pretty awful for Jewish students.
Blacks, on the other hand find relatively few on-campus displays of racist hostility on American campuses. Nevertheless, among some students, anti-black sentiments do exist.
Is there racism? Of course, but not nearly what it once was. As regards anti-Semitism, this has reemerged.
Some would dispute what was noted above. Such dissenters are likely to include protesters who have met in large cities for the last three nights to break store window and set cars afire.
The best was that we, today, are in a technology revolution. The effects of this revolution are no less profound than were those of the industrial revolution; especially, on how it impacts American workers and, in fact, workers throughout the world. Not all good paying jobs went overseas. But, undoubtedly some of the worst jobs did go overseas. Just as agriculture, in Andrew Jackson's day, accounted for roughly 80% of our GDP, the industrial jobs in time began to made up a large portion of our GDP. These jobs are now giving way to service jobs and jobs in healthcare.
The effect of this on America's workers is almost as awful as the as the industrial revolution was on workers of that day. Ultimately, these revolution greatly improve the quality of everyone's lives, but they are hell on the workers when they are in the process of taking place.
What do we tell our workers? That we are going to retrain them? Do you really expect to retrain workers in their late 40's and early 50's. We must find and establish programs to help these workers, but it is not the intention of this blog posting to make such suggestions here and now. Rather it is to point out what happens when such changes take place.
Racism and anti-Semitism (closely allied phenomena) are likely to arise. People find it convenient to scape goat someone, or some group, for their unhappiness. After the Civil War, these unworthy people, the blacks -- unworthy in the eyes of the lower class -- were taking away their livelihood. It wasn't fair. Who were these blacks to strive for jobs that weren't available even to whites? Add to that, blacks could go to a college and generally get a scholarship through affirmative action. These routes to a higher education are generally unavailable to whites. Turn on your TV and what do you see? You see more black people reading the weather reports and commenting on news channels. And, what of the black kids from the family of a wealthy automobile distributor, or from the family of a successful liquor distributor. Aren't they also getting scholarships simply because their color? And, then you have the Jews, people who always seem able to push their way to the head of the line.
What I find surprising is that while we have both racism and anti-Semitism. They are currently at a low level. Nevertheless, exceptions exist. College campuses are one such exception. Here you can now find rampant anti-Semitism. This, however, is fueled largely by pro-Palestinian activists and left oriented instructors and students. Such campus activists are often well funded and can make life pretty awful for Jewish students.
Blacks, on the other hand find relatively few on-campus displays of racist hostility on American campuses. Nevertheless, among some students, anti-black sentiments do exist.
Is there racism? Of course, but not nearly what it once was. As regards anti-Semitism, this has reemerged.
Some would dispute what was noted above. Such dissenters are likely to include protesters who have met in large cities for the last three nights to break store window and set cars afire.
Friday, November 11, 2016
This Snow Bird Has Arrived In FL
There's been a hiatus in my postings to this blog. It's resulted from the time and energy needed to make the move from NY to FL and then, later, back again. Things have now settled down and you can once again look forward to my sensible and, at times, politically incorrect observations.
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