The Democratic Party is in jeopardy of losing the votes of African American and other minority communities. Historically we know that African Americans voters, for example, have overwhelmingly supported Democratic presidential candidates. But in a crucial election year such as this one, it’s essential that Democrats remain appealing to all voters.

Make no mistake; economically, the Republican party will try to woo minority votes the same way it attracts poor white voters: by masking policies that benefit only a small percentage of Americans in a costume of universal principle. The Bush administration will argue this year (if it even talks about domestic policy at all …) that an education, a quality comprehensive health-care plan, and even retirement benefits can best come from competition, instead of regulated, insured government programs. “We’ll let you keep more of what you earn,” they’ll say, “pulling yourself up by the bootstraps should be rewarded.”

It sounds great, this Republican-American dream, but it ignores what people seem afraid to say these days: government can do what otherwise would not be done under a business model in the private sector. But under Bush’s newly released plan, the amount a student can borrow from federal student-loan programs will increase from only $2,625 to $3,000. Otherwise, Bush proposed no new aid opportunities. In addition, Bush would scrap programs to improve writing skills, teach economics and foreign languages, and promote literacy in prison. Keeping aid to students available, it seems, would serve as a better way than tax cuts to assure the American dream.

Second, economists now predict that our so-called economic “recovery” represents the fiscal equivalent of eating a pile of sugar to try and wake up. One of the best indications of the lackluster recovery is to measure job increases. While a handful of jobs have been added, the overall recovery brought few new, quality jobs.

Tax cuts, of course, are ironically mostly saved only by the wealthy; those with money can already buy anything they want. Giving money back to folks to invest privately in education, health care and retirement, in addition, works largely for those who already possess capital; those without are left to shop at the educational and health-care equivalent of a thrift store.

On the flip side, by cutting taxes now but increasing our country’s spending on vanity purchases like landing on Mars, our president is trying to play to both sides. By spending like a caffeinated teenager with a new credit card and ramping up the deficit, it’s no longer a tax cut, it’s a tax deferral.

It’s not hard to argue that Democrats represent a large majority of people economically in America, but our problems come when addressing social issues. We know traditionally that Democrats support affirmative action and assuring the right to vote without poll taxes or other disenfranchising legislation. So instead of trumping the Democratic Party’s record, I’d like to issue a warning: if they’re not careful, the party’s own cultural isolation might represent Democrats’ greatest threat.

A feature in last Sunday’s New York Times Magazine helped illustrate the problem. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, a black state legislator in the state of South Carolina, put it this way: “… if the Democratic Party is not serious about dealing with the issues of race and class that are so prevalent in this country but particularly in the South, then they may as well write it off, because there’s no point in coming in here with cosmetics.”

How Howard Dean decided to approach primaries shows what not to do. “Forget campaigning in Southern states,” his campaign seems to say, “We’ll pick up delegates in New York and California.” But by ignoring the South, you’re also de facto ignoring a huge minority population and the issues specific to them.

It’s not that I’m afraid a large portion of minority voters will flock to the party of Senator Trent Lott, but if Democrats ignore specific constituencies, they just won’t turn out to vote; it will be a win for Republicans.

Let’s not forget them.

Josh Orton ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in political science and ILS.