Asian Americans Turn Dramatically Towards Democrats

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With all of the chatter among the pundit class about the Republican Party's alienation of Hispanic voters another emerging demographic has been largely missed, especially in areas where its members are not plentiful as yet.  An article in the Los Angeles Times looks at this other demographic that the GOP has lost by dramatic margins over the last two decades: Asian voters.   Not coincidentally, in my view, this dramatic shift tracts directly with the rise of the Christofascists and white supremacist elements within the Republican Party.  It is the same time period that has seen a steady exodus of moderates and non-religious extremists from the GOP.   Here are some article highlights:

As the dust settles on the presidential election, there seems to be a new theory daily as to why Mitt Romney lost and what it signals for the future of the Republican Party. Common to nearly all the speculation are the partisan implications of demographic change. The United States is shifting gradually toward a majority-minority electorate, with ever-growing numbers of Latino and Asian American voters. Notably, these groups are increasingly voting as Democrats. According to exit polls from Nov. 6, 73% of Asian Americans and 71% of Latinos voted for President Obama.

The high levels of Latino support for Obama were in line with expectations.  .  .  .  . But the fact that nearly three out of every four Asian Americans voted for Obama caught most pundits by surprise. Moreover, Asian Americans, who voted in record numbers in 2008, appear to have mobilized an even higher turnout in 2012. Asian Americans are no longer a swing vote or a crouching tiger in the electorate; their political stripes are now distinctly Democratic blue.

Many people have begun to ask: Why are Asian Americans so Democratic, and how did thy get that way? These questions take on greater intrigue when we look at exit poll data over the last two decades. Asian Americans have demonstrated the biggest shift in their presidential voting preferences of any demographic group, whether by race, gender or age.

First, it is no accident that the move toward the Democratic Party started during Bill Clinton's presidency. Although detailed polling data on Asian Americans in the 1990s are lacking, this is a period when the Democratic Party developed a new pro-business image, economic growth was strong, Asian Americans naturalized in unprecedented numbers and Clinton made public efforts to woo them, including nominating the first Asian American to the Cabinet.

Since 2000, the Republican Party has moved more sharply to the right than the Democratic Party has to the left, especially on issues that resonate with Asian Americans. For example, Republicans in Congress escalated their heated rhetoric on immigration and, despite the Bush administration's efforts, consistently scuttled efforts toward comprehensive immigration reform. Our 2008 National Asian American Survey also found very strong support among all Asian American groups for universal healthcare and for bringing a quick end to the Iraq war, two issues on which the Republican Party did itself no favors with these voters.

[T]he Republican Party has not been helped by its close liaison with the tea party movement, which received low favorability ratings in our 2012 survey, nor by presidential candidates and party activists emphasizing Christian values. Thus a Pew report on Asian American religion showed the highest Democratic Party support among Hindus and the religiously unaffiliated who, together, account for more than 35% of the Asian American population.

As noted many times on this blog, the GOP sold its soul to the Christofascists (and their close cousins, the white supremacists) and now social moderates, non-whites, and non-Kool-Aid drinkers are fleeing in droves.  Yet, as reflected by Ken Cuccinelli's rise to apparent GOP standard bearer here in Virginia, the GOP apparently has not gotten the message that extremism loses voters and loses elections.