Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation on the US Supreme Court is a major accomplishment. In an AP newsmaker interview, McConnell said filling court vacancies “is the most important thing we’re doing.” (Oct. 10) AP
With nerves still raw from the wrenching confirmation process of now Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, speculation whirls regarding what the political implications will be.
Worth considering is where the racial lines will be drawn.
Among the more aggressive voices from the Democratic side of the Senate Judiciary Committee fighting to derail the Kavanaugh nomination, were two of the most prominent black Democrats in the country — Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California.
The presidential ambitions of both are known and transparent, and they clearly viewed these hearings as a platform to advance their national personae.
What might these two black senators tell us about the direction of racial politics in the country?
Both, in my view, point to a core redefining of the black presence in the Democratic Party.
Although African-Americans have been a reliable voting base for the Democratic Party since the mid-’60s, blacks have never been defined by the liberalism of that party, particularly in recent years.
One point of deep division is religion.
African-Americans are among the most religious demographics in the country and self-identified Democrats are among the least.
According to Gallup, 51 percent of Republicans self-identify as “highly religious” compared with 33 percent of Democrats.
Whereas 41 percent of Americans describe themselves as “born…
