Why don't Asians vote Republican?

[Verily]

Minorities only like the Democratic Party because the Democratic Party panders to them and they believe in affirmative action instead of hiring a person based on their skill.  The Republicans are not very popular with minorities because the Republicans don't pander to their every whim.

True, the only problem is that in supporting that position the Republican Party also panders to a base of voters who would like to use skin color as a reason not to hire someone.  A very large and vociferous portion of the Republican base consists of people who use terms like "real America" when talking about lily white rural communities and question the citizenship of a man whose mother was born in Kansas and whose grandfather served in the US army during WWII. 

So, I don't see why its a mystery that minority voters prefer not to align themselves with a party whose supporters are offended by the very presence of minorities in this country.  Until the Republican Party base becomes more tolerant, minorities will continue to vote with the Democrats.  

Stealing the South from the Democrats turned out to be a brilliant short-term strategy for the GOP when LBJ ended the Democratic alliance with Jim Crow.  Now, its coming back to bite the Republicans in the ass.

Thank you, Padfoot. That's the point I was trying to get across. I didn't mention affirmative action although I personally am opposed to it at all levels and if that makes me a racist then so be it, but I digress. I'm used to be calling a racist after supporting Hillary - the racist accusation doesn't phase me at all.

Obviously, Hispanics have been voting so Democratic lately because of the hard-line conservative anti-immigration rhetoric coming from the Republican Party, and we have threads on here discussing why Asians and Native Americans vote Democratic as well. The gender gap seems to be back as well, as I think women have moved more towards the Democratic Party again. Jews seem to be an increasing stronghold for Democrats, and I doubt Democrats have to worry about losing the gay community to the Republicans as long as their party is driven by the Bible thumping bigots and homophobic rednecks who like to compare homosexuals to pedophiles and bestiality and incest and other vile things.

(Interestingly enough, and I'm ashamed to say it, but bestiality is actually legal in Missouri but same-sex marriage is not. We're a pretty f_cked up state).

I think the GOP elites understand all these problems, it's just most GOP politicians don't. I think they will change in the next decade or so, but it will be slow.

I suppose that depends on who you consider the GOP elite. That is, are the GOP elite those who control the party (in which case, no, they don't understand those problems) or simply some nebulous group of leaders with pragmatic politics (in which case they do but are currently in no position to direct those with actual power in the party)?

[Smash255]

Minorities only like the Democratic Party because the Democratic Party panders to them and they believe in affirmative action instead of hiring a person based on their skill.  The Republicans are not very popular with minorities because the Republicans don't pander to their every whim.

The Republican Party and its affiliates pander to a white, reactionary, right-wing base and stirs up those voters by portraying minorities in a bad light.  There is a long history of this.  There was Nixon's "Southern Strategy" in 1968.  I remember how Bush I used Willie Horton ads against Michael Dukakis in 1988.  And don't get me started at the various comments from the right about Sonia Sotomayor.  Perhaps the lowest point was when an ad said she supported Puerto Rican terrorists.  Jeff Sessions fanned these flames when he said that her affiliation with the Puerto Rican Legal Defense Fund made her "unsuitable for the bench" and claimed the group had taken "shocking" positions with regard to terrorism. 

I take issue with the assumption that an affirmative action hire is less skilled than the supposed (white male) standard.  Sotomayor has more experience as a federal judge than anyone currently serving on the S.C. did at the time of their nomination.  Is she less qualified or "skilled" than Roberts or Alito?

As for the topic at hand, I am Asian and given their treatment of minorities over the years, I view the GOP with contempt.

Bush the first wasn't trying to point out that the guy was black.  In fact, it had nothing to do with the fact that he was black.  The commercial was just to state both Bush's and Dukakis's position on the death penalty and how Dukakis gave first degree murderers weekend passes.  Everyone out west and up north automatically assume that people from down south are reactionary, bible-thumping, minority-hating white people and I'm sick of it.

Was he trying to point out the guy was black?  No.  Was the fact that it was a black guy that did this a major part of the reason behind the ad in order to appeal to the reactionary types?   No question about it.  The ad would have not been aired if it wasn't for the fact Horton was black.

To answer the question of why Asians don't vote Republican, well for starters the Republicans becoming the southern Evangelical Party has a lot to do with it.  As was pointed out earlier in the thread Asians tend to have a very important emphasis on education.  Trying to gut education funding, and shovel creationism into schools is not the way to appeal to the Asian community. 

[Jacobtm]

Again, I'd like to reference a previous thread on this topic:

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=35131.msg806632;topicseen#msg806632

Even though this discussion occurred in January of 2006, I think alot of the analysis within it is still valid and insightful.

[Sbane]

How many African American Republicans are serving in Congress? None.

How many Hispanic/Latino Republicans are serving in Congress? Four, I think, and they're Cuban Americans and some have said that they don't really qualify as real Latinos. (Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the Diaz-Balart brothers, and Mel Martinez).

How many Asian American Republicans are serving in Congress? One (Joseph Cao - and he'll be gone in 2010).

How many Native American Republicans are serving in Congress? None. 

How many women are Republicans are in Congress? 21 (out of 91) in both the House (17/74) and Senate (4/17).

How many Jewish Republicans in Congress are there? One (Eric Cantor).

How many LGBT Republicans in Congress are there? None.

Yeah I wouldn't exactly call the Republicans the party of the minorities but more so the party of old angry white men. Republicans don't necessarily hate minorities (aside from homosexuals); they just, well, how do I put this diplomatically, don't tolerate differences?

Minorities only like the Democratic Party because the Democratic Party panders to them and they believe in affirmative action instead of hiring a person based on their skill.  The Republicans are not very popular with minorities because the Republicans don't pander to their every whim.

Asians are hurt the most by affirmative action, idiot. Try again.

[Padfoot]

I would disagree with you when you say that the Republican Party uses skin color as a reason not to hire someone.  Those would only be the ultra-conservative reactionists.

You misunderstand.  The GOP itself obviously does not actively engage in racial discrimination in its hiring practices.  However, the ultra-conservative reactionists you mention are some of the GOP's most rabid supporters and they aren't shy about making their opinions known.  This doesn't exactly make the Republican party seem like a welcoming place for minorities.

[FloridaRepublican]

Well the far-left, ideological, liberal zealots of the democratic party don't make their party seem like a welcoming place for anyone.

[minionofmidas]

How many African American Republicans are serving in Congress? None.

How many Hispanic/Latino Republicans are serving in Congress? Four, I think, and they're Cuban Americans and some have said that they don't really qualify as real Latinos. (Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the Diaz-Balart brothers, and Mel Martinez).

How many Asian American Republicans are serving in Congress? One (Joseph Cao - and he'll be gone in 2010).

How many Native American Republicans are serving in Congress? None. 

How many women are Republicans are in Congress? 21 (out of 91) in both the House (17/74) and Senate (4/17).

How many Jewish Republicans in Congress are there? One (Eric Cantor).

How many LGBT Republicans in Congress are there? None.

Yeah I wouldn't exactly call the Republicans the party of the minorities but more so the party of old angry white men. Republicans don't necessarily hate minorities (aside from homosexuals); they just, well, how do I put this diplomatically, don't tolerate differences?

Minorities only like the Democratic Party because the Democratic Party panders to them and they believe in affirmative action instead of hiring a person based on their skill.  The Republicans are not very popular with minorities because the Republicans don't pander to their every whim.

Asians are hurt the most by affirmative action, idiot. Try again.

Err...what?

They're no fans of it, that much is obvious. But they would stand to be the people profitting most from a general application, much as in India not-too-badly-oppressed groups who somehow got on the Schedules are the ones who profit most. Which is entirely unsurprising if you think about it. They have a leg up on those below them already, so they're also best placed to take advantage of offered advantages. (Actually, I seem to recall a study pointing out how far more White women than Blacks of either race have been hired thanks to Affirmative Action policies. Mind you, that would be a study from the early 90s.)

[phk]

Same reason Jews don't vote GOP: A more communal ethos and a distaste for Christian nationalism.

Interestingly the two most anti-Semitic groups in America, Muslims and Blacks are pretty strong Democratic.

[Badger]

Minorities only like the Democratic Party because the Democratic Party panders to them and they believe in affirmative action instead of hiring a person based on their skill.  The Republicans are not very popular with minorities because the Republicans don't pander to their every whim.

Actually, most minorities don't like the Republican Party because it considers any attempt to legislate fair hiring and employment practices as contrary to "hiring a person based on their skill", and further treats any non-superficial minority outreach as "pandering to their every whim".

[Stranger in a strange land]

Well the far-left, ideological, liberal zealots of the democratic party don't make their party seem like a welcoming place for anyone.

Take off your partisan blinders and you'll see that the far right of the Republican party is much the same.

[pbrower2a]

Well the far-left, ideological, liberal zealots of the democratic party don't make their party seem like a welcoming place for anyone.

"Far Left" and "liberal" are contradictory. Commies do not call themselves liberals. Regrettably, fascists often call themselves "conservatives", as in a description of a "Kombined Konservative Kampground" -- note the unusual spelling that ordinarily suggests a Kross burning.

The Democratic Party seems to be far more welcoming today than the GOP is.

[pbrower2a]

Same reason Jews don't vote GOP: A more communal ethos and a distaste for Christian nationalism.

Interestingly the two most anti-Semitic groups in America, Muslims and Blacks are pretty strong Democratic.

Black antisemitism is largely anti-white bigotry. Jews and Muslims seem to vote much the same in America.

[Stranger in a strange land]

Same reason Jews don't vote GOP: A more communal ethos and a distaste for Christian nationalism.

Interestingly the two most anti-Semitic groups in America, Muslims and Blacks are pretty strong Democratic.

Black antisemitism is largely anti-white bigotry. Jews and Muslims seem to vote much the same in America.

From my admittedly limited experience, they also seem to get along pretty well on a personal level, though that's largely due to the fact that both American Jews and American Muslims are disproportionately members of the professional class, and that both groups value education highly and attend the same elite colleges.

[phk]

Same reason Jews don't vote GOP: A more communal ethos and a distaste for Christian nationalism.

Interestingly the two most anti-Semitic groups in America, Muslims and Blacks are pretty strong Democratic.

Black antisemitism is largely anti-white bigotry. Jews and Muslims seem to vote much the same in America.

From my admittedly limited experience, they also seem to get along pretty well on a personal level, though that's largely due to the fact that both American Jews and American Muslims are disproportionately members of the professional class, and that both groups value education highly and attend the same elite colleges.

People are different in a professional environment than they are in their own communities.

Compare Muslim voting from 1996 to 2000 to 2004 and the religious affiliation of the D's VP nominee in 2000.

[FloridaRepublican]

Minorities only like the Democratic Party because the Democratic Party panders to them and they believe in affirmative action instead of hiring a person based on their skill.  The Republicans are not very popular with minorities because the Republicans don't pander to their every whim.

Actually, most minorities don't like the Republican Party because it considers any attempt to legislate fair hiring and employment practices as contrary to "hiring a person based on their skill", and further treats any non-superficial minority outreach as "pandering to their every whim".

"Fair hiring"?  So you're telling me that if a some random black dude and a white intern, with far more experience, walk in to get a job, which currently had 5 whites and 4 blacks employed, the black guy gets the job because there aren't enough black guys?  That's ridiculous.  Not to mention extremely stupid.

[Smash255]

Minorities only like the Democratic Party because the Democratic Party panders to them and they believe in affirmative action instead of hiring a person based on their skill.  The Republicans are not very popular with minorities because the Republicans don't pander to their every whim.

Actually, most minorities don't like the Republican Party because it considers any attempt to legislate fair hiring and employment practices as contrary to "hiring a person based on their skill", and further treats any non-superficial minority outreach as "pandering to their every whim".

"Fair hiring"?  So you're telling me that if a some random black dude and a white intern, with far more experience, walk in to get a job, which currently had 5 whites and 4 blacks employed, the black guy gets the job because there aren't enough black guys?  That's ridiculous.  Not to mention extremely stupid.

Ehh no, that wasn't what he was saying.  His point was that one of the reasons minorities tend to not like Republicans, is Republican opposition to laws that would ban employers from not hiring someone simply because they are a minority.

[FloridaRepublican]

I personally don't see why anyone wouldn't want to hire a minority to do a job, as long as they're good at it, not because people think it is owed to them as reparations for slavery or some crap.

[Person Man]

I personally don't see why anyone wouldn't want to hire a minority to do a job, as long as they're good at it, not because people think it is owed to them as reparations for slavery or some crap.

[FloridaRepublican]

I personally don't see why anyone wouldn't want to hire a minority to do a job, as long as they're good at it, not because people think it is owed to them as reparations for slavery or some crap.

Yes thank you for putting a picture that represents them.

[Badger]

Minorities only like the Democratic Party because the Democratic Party panders to them and they believe in affirmative action instead of hiring a person based on their skill.  The Republicans are not very popular with minorities because the Republicans don't pander to their every whim.

Actually, most minorities don't like the Republican Party because it considers any attempt to legislate fair hiring and employment practices as contrary to "hiring a person based on their skill", and further treats any non-superficial minority outreach as "pandering to their every whim".

"Fair hiring"?  So you're telling me that if a some random black dude and a white intern, with far more experience, walk in to get a job, which currently had 5 whites and 4 blacks employed, the black guy gets the job because there aren't enough black guys?  That's ridiculous.  Not to mention extremely stupid.

What I was trying to show you by directly paraphrasing your own words, is that it's exactly the condescending, chip on the shoulder, all civil right laws are just made to unfairly screw whites attitude that was so prevalent in your own post is exactly the reason minorities have such widespread distrust and antipathy towards the GOP.

Thanks for missing the obvious point; that says much about the GOP's liklihood of ever reversing it's inability to get minority votes. Instead it'll just keep blaming minorities for not voting for them rather than take responsibility of their own failures here.

[FloridaRepublican]

All I'm saying is that a person should not be hired based on their color or "equal opportunity" crap.  They should be hired because they are good at their job.  Is that so wrong?

[Badger]

Back to the topic thread....

Don't forget economics as a big part for more recent Asian immigrants. While the stereotype of East Asian immigrants maybe be the Filipino daughter of a doctor who's an honor roll student or the South Vietnamese anticommunist ex-army officer who now owns several convenience stores in Cali, recent immigrant communities of Cambodians, Vietnamese, the Hmong, and even the Chinese have major problems with unemployment, poverty, discrimination, drugs, gang violence and urban ghettoization that rival anything we typically think of in the African-American or Hispanic 'hood'.

It's no surprise these communities currently vote overwhelmingly Democratic for the same reasons as African-Americans and more recent Hispanic immigrants, and are quickly growing in number. Consider the Twin Cities in MN with one of the largest Hmong populations which IIRC, just elected their first Hmong state senator.

[FloridaRepublican]

Well what do you suggest Republicans do?  Change their ideals in order to garner more voters?

[Badger]

All I'm saying is that a person should not be hired based on their color or "equal opportunity" crap.  They should be hired because they are good at their job.  Is that so wrong?

<sigh> No, that's not so wrong at all. But probably 90+% of minorities (yes, African-Americans too) would agree with this statement; that's not the reason Republicans get only a tiny sliver of minority votes. It's because Republicans like yourself make it clear that any anti-discrimination legislation is merely--to use your own words--"pandering to their every whim" on "equal opportunity crap". Reread your posts and think about it: why would many minorities want to vote for a party like the GOP that pushes that message?

I'm not trying to pick on you, man, it's just your sentiments are fairly typical from what I've heard from many Republicans. And like most Republicans you don't seem to understand how much minority voters are (justifiably) turned off by it. It's not a matter of terminology or repackaging this message like Michael Steele naively believes, it's about just catching a clue. Your post is indicative of the general Republican misconception that discrimination in employment, housing, etc. mostly disappeared along with segregated water fountains 40 years ago. While paying bare lip service to the fact discrimination still "exists" (kinda like the Siberian Tiger "exists"--damned rare and disappearing quickly) and is a bad thing, the GOP's main focus is that essentially any civil rights legislation is bad because it threatens white people.

Bottom line: As long as the GOP considers any civil rights legislation as "pandering" on "equal opportunity crap", it will never get more than a sliver of the minority vote.

Nor should it.

[Badger]

Well what do you suggest Republicans do?  Change their ideals in order to garner more voters?

God forbid. <rolls eyes>

Look, Republicans can keep your ideas intact if you want. Congragulations: you are the party of Nixon's "southern strategy" that caters to white flight sentiment. Great.

But in return, just stop hypocritically whining about the miniscule share of minority votes the GOP gets as somehow being the fault of minorities. Or at least don't be surprised at the results.....