Among student borrowers in the United States who opened their loans between 2010 and 2019 more than half now owe more than what they originally borrowed. [NYT 9/10/23]
Toyota, the world’s largest car maker and a hybrid pioneer, sold 10.5 million vehicles last year, eight times as many as Tesla. But fewer than 1 percent of the cars it sold were fully electric vehicles. [NYT
54.86% of state legislatures are Republican and 44.29% Democratic. [Ballotpedia 9/12/23]
Why is President Biden losing ground among Black, Hispanic, and Asian American and other nonwhite voters?
The various theories are not mutually exclusive, and the best explanation may synthesize all of them.
Theory 1: It’s about the moment – Biden, his age, the economy, and abortion.
In the short term, Mr. Biden could hope to gain ground if inflation continues to lose steam and the economy avoided recession. Democrats are counting on issues like abortion to compensate for their weaknesses.
Theory 2: Democrats are too far to the left.
There are many nonwhite Democrats who self-identify as moderate or even conservative. Many hold conservative views on issues like opposition to same-sex marriage. These moderate or conservative non-white voters consider themselves Democrats because they see the party as representing them and their interests, not because they have party-line views on every issue.
Theory 3: Democrats aren’t delivering a progressive agenda.
Being a moderate on a left-right ideological scale is not the same thing as being content with the status quo.
Theory 4: It’s Trump
It’s Mr. Trump, not Mr. Biden, who defines American politics nowadays. Voters say they’re voting based on their feelings toward the former president, not the current one.
Theory 5: It’s about a new generation.
Democratic strength among nonwhite voters was forged in an earlier era of politics when the party unequivocally represented the working class and the poor.
Younger nonwhite voters might see it differently. At the very least, almost all of Mr. Biden’s losses come among nonwhite voters under 45.
It would for hard for any party to hold 90 plus percent of a voting group forever.