Post-election Analysis

I've been hearing and reading a lot about how "moral values" shaped the election. I'm not so certain that's true. Instead, I think a lot of the Red votes were a reaction by largely rural and white voters to the inevitable transformation of the nation to a polyglot of peoples and cultures. A subtext in the fear-based appeals of the Republicans is that America is changing from an Anglo-dominated society run by rich white men to one where women, minorities, liberals and "non-Christians" have increased clout. The fear of many Red voters isn't just about terrorism; it's about losing their thus-far privileged way of life.

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