LaShawn Barber:

I’m only one black American among millions, and I’m no authority on black people, nor do I speak for black people.

But I can provide insight.

Earlier this year, I reviewed a book called Wrong on Race, by Bruce Bartlett. He correctly pointed out that most of the raging racists you’ve read about in history books were Democrats and that Republicans were the anti-slavery party. In fact, the GOP was founded on the principle. Republicans supported major civil rights legislation right up through the 1960s, while Democrats filibustered the bills and spoke out against equal rights for all. Republicans still support equal rights for all.

And therein lies the problem.

Knowing history is important, obviously, and all this makes for good reading. But I need to break it you: blacks who vote for Democrats do not care about this history. The only bit of history they care about is the one that provides excuses and finger-pointing opportunities: ancestors in bondage, great-grandparents and grandparents struggling to gain first class citizenship in this country, etc. They don’t care who did what to or for whom in the past. All they care about is who’s offering them the most goodies today.