The Great White Hope?

        The beginning of the 20^th century, African American boxer Jack Johnson became the first heavyweight champion. As a result, the fight promoters searched for a “great white hope” who could restore the championship to the whites. According to a Republican GOP political strategist, Republicans are looking for their own “Great White Hope” in this year’s presidential elections. In an article from the New York Magazine, a Republican strategists claims that, "This is the last time anyone will try to do this” (Chait). "This" being the last ever white vote election, which will take place this upcoming November.  A white vote election is the total dependence on white votes to win the the presidential election. Ever since the 1992 presidential election, white voters have declined as a portion of the electorate, causing the 2012 election to be the last white vote election. Recent studies of demographics have shown that Romney needs to win sixty-one percent of the seventy-five percent accounted for white voters, and Romney's camp is focused on winning these votes. However, this is a very tough winning formula and strategy for Romney, leaving him no margin for error. For Barack Obama to win a second term, he must win eighty-percents of minority voters and forty-percent of whites(Brownstein). (To read more about the demographic specific statistics click here). This could be more manageable for Obama because of the more minority potential voters in this election, but only if these minority voters turn out and vote.  

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       Although these demographic statistics allow presidential candidates to form different strategies to win more votes, does it polarize whites and minorities?  Does it push candidates to change the real belief system to come up with a platform that appeals to the target demographic? So, should racial polling data affect politicians’ political platforms?