In news that will disturb many on the Left, the Canadian Press has reported that African Americans might have been a contributing, even decisive, factor to the banning of same-sex marriage in California. By a 70 to 30 margin, black voters, who turned out in unusually large numbers to vote for Obama, supported Proposition 8, which prohibited same-sex marriage. By contrast, whites were slightly opposed to the proposition, and Hispanics split 50/50. Not only does this phenomenon becloud Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition, but it even led to an ugly clash at a post-election rally:
“It was like being at a Klan rally except the Klansmen were wearing Abercrombie polos and Birkenstocks,” said one attendee, a gay black man.
The UCLA student said he was twice called the n-word.
Putting aside the irony that Abercrombie and Fitch is the most homoerotic mainstream men’s clothing brand, this tension does not bode well for Democratic unity.
