i said this backwards: the notion that racism (and specifically antiblack racism) is a central part of American life is a feature of Black conservatism — and that notion is pretty incompatible with white conservatism.
And this is, again, why you have plenty Black folks with conservative leanings who will never vote Republican. Movement conservatism is organized around the imperatives of whiteness — it's why, for example, the NRA didn't rally around the case of Philando Castile.
Kanye embracing Trump won't break some taboo and bring more Black folks into the Republican fold, which is what a lot of conservative pundits seem to think. It will ultimately only end up getting Kanye disinvited from the cookout.
the other thing that social scientists like @chryllaird @cmMcConnaughy et al have written is that voting, for everyone, is socially influenced, and comes with rewards for embracing the political norms around you or consequences for bucking them.
@chryllaird @cmMcConnaughy because Black folks are in such close proximity to each other — #housingsegregationineverything — the taboo on voting Republican is especially well enforced via social sanction.
Kanye, importantly, lives in Calabasas (Black pop, < 2%.), not Chicago. His ties to Black spaces are a little more, um, attenuated than a lot of folks.
So maybe if the GOP wants to create more Kanyes, it should try to dismantle residential segregation. :-)
So maybe if the GOP wants to create more Kanyes, it should try to dismantle residential segregation. :-)
i'm being flip, but really: if Black folks are living in communities with other Black folks who are being disenfranchised by Republican-backed voter ID laws...by what magic do people start suddenly voting for Republicans just bc Yeezy wore a MAGA hat on SNL?
