By Dotty LeMieux

Demographics are ever changing in today’s world.  Who was in is out; who was on top is slipping down the ladder.  We live in a country that is looking more and more like the rest of the world.  It’s no more Mr. White guy in the U.S. of A. Not at the top of the population heap anyway. Although they do still control the seats of power.  Wall Street. The banking elite.  Corporate board rooms. All these bastions of power are still dominated by white males.  But is it still true that he who controls the wealth controls the bucks controls the ducks? The ones that line up to make sure the 1% hang on to their wealth?

So far, that seems to be the case, but as the trend is showing in who votes in this country, that could be changing too.  Barricades of moneybags may not be enough to stem the tide of hordes of minorities and women, whatever their skin tones, from huffing and puffing and blowing their houses down.

Just look at the House, at least the Democratic side of it.  As Nancy Pelosi pointed out just today, white males no longer make up the majority of members of the Democratic Caucus.  Even I find this hard to believe, but heartening. Even without a majority in that body, we are making a tremendous difference by who runs and whom we vote for.   Of the incoming class, 23 are Hispanics (to Republican 5); 41 African American to the Republican one or two, depending on the outcome of still undecided races. Unfortunately women  are still in the minority, even of the minorities, with a total of twenty counting both Democrats and Republicans. (Which is up from 17 at least). http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-08/women-and-minorities-to-dominate-house-democratic-party.html

This is good news for an increasingly diverse America, one which the Republicans seriously underestimated in this election.  Or, with Karl Rove, they live in a deep river of denial.   But this does not mean we can stop full time vigilance. We must push now harder than ever to gain progressive initiatives from Congress.  We must watch out for Tea Party crazies who are still out there. And we must not let Boehner and a still Republican majority in the House set the agenda on the economy or the environment.  Obama has the momentum and must use it wisely to craft compromises that do not compromise the people’s rights, to Social Security, Medicare, choice and as clean, healthy environment.

As long as there are loony so-called Christian white guys like Pat Buchanan who called Obama’ re-election the death of white America, which he apparently took as personal rebuke, white people being so obviously much better and more intelligent than any other kind, the rest of us, white and non-white alike, must remain on our proverbial toes. So, while I feel hopeful, sorta, and really, some of my best friends are White Guys, but not Republican ones, although I’ve been known to tolerate them on panel discussions, I’m not letting my guard down anytime soon.  Our newly re-elected President should not either.

As Machiavelli is reported to have said, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”

Dotty LeMieux

GreenDog Campaigns

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San Rafael, CA 94901

www.greendogcampaigns.com

415-485-1040

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