Wrong on Race

Here is Bruce Bartlett´s new book, here is an overview.  Incendiary, etc.  The positive suggestion is that the Republicans should, and will need to, start courting black voters, and that greater electoral competition in this manner will help the courted parties.  The main theoretical question is when the statute of limitations runs out for holding the background of a party against that party.  I don’t have a clear view on that question, although for individual candidates I think that the time horizon should be quite long.

Addendum: Here is a Matt-Bruce exchange.  Perhaps I posted this link without enough explanation.  What I find so interesting is why Bartlett remains a Republican, or from the synopsis seems to.  After all, he has come close to endorsing Hillary.  Whether you like that or not, it is a big step for someone from his market-oriented background.  Does he stay a Republican because he thinks Republicans are better on race issues?  I haven’t read the book, but I thought there were many interesting issues going on in this new work of his.  I am sorry to have given rise to an exchange with nasty comments.  They’ve been deleted.  I might add I believe there is plenty of racism all around; the interesting positive question is why it takes one form (more open) in Republican circles and another very different form in Democratic circles.  Wage and other data show that discrimination is not especially concentrated in Republican areas, I hope to post more on that topic soon.

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