Via Mother Jones:
By David Corn
Not
too far from the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, a local art
gallery is featuring an exhibit called "Divided State of America," but
it's not necessary to trek to this space to contemplate the deep
divisions within the nation. You need only spend a few nanoseconds at
the Democratic presidential convention, after experiencing a week at the
Republican gathering in Tampa, to realize you have left one reality
for a much different one. And this goes far beyond policy positions and
political stances. Here's a brief guide.
The people.
It's rather obvious: Planet Democrat is inhabited by people of
different colors; Planet Republican is monochromatic. This stark
contrast has long existed and is not a surprise. (One recent
poll showed Mitt Romney with zero—yes, zero—support among African
Americans.) Yet shifting from Tampa to Charlotte is not unlike the
moment in The Wizard of Oz when black-and-white gives way to
the full spectrum. In Tampa, it seemed there were more black and Latino
Americans on the stage than among the audience of thousands of white
people. The streets of downtown Charlotte—which, for some reason, is
called "uptown"—are overflowing with diversity.
And
this extends beyond race. The thousands of delegates in Charlotte
represent more income (or class) diversity. Sure, plenty of well-heeled
Democratic donors, lobbyists, and supporters are strolling about, but
there are many folks who look as if they are heading back to tough
jobs when the convention is done: teachers, nurses, Teamsters, and the
like. In Tampa, I conducted an experiment and asked several
journalists to fill in this blank: "These Republican delegates look
like they come from ________." The most common answer: "a country
club." Another reply: "a gated community." [READ MORE]
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