If you are a concerned alumnus/alumna, you need to know what Ruy Teixeira is telling America’s liberal party. Ruy is a Democrat strategist and author of The Emerging Democratic Majority (2002), the seminal work that shaped the Obama era. His latest research found “progressive activists punch far above their weight in the Democratic Party.” They’re just 8% of the electorate, but their hold on the party is disastrous: “Democrats are bleeding voters of all races.”
His findings should rattle right-thinking alumni: “left-leaning academics and progressive activists” hold views not shared by ”the groups these activists claim they are representing.” In plain English, the “woke” pedants running alma mater are fraudsters, because non-whites don’t see the same “systemic” cause and effect that academics claim are ruining America. This begs the question, should identity-obsessed administrators and professors be allowed into the heads of your children?
Teixeira’s research found a large majority of Americans – even non-whites – want bad situations fixed, rather than bad identities blamed. The “aggrieved groups” that left-leaning academics view as victims are overwhelmingly “proud of the country” and increasingly tired of identity politics. To wit, Teixeira’s national polling found widespread belief in five American testaments (cross-checked against voters in solid-blue Massachusetts) that should inform how alumni and parents respond to heads of school.
Equality of opportunity is a fundamental American principle; equality of outcome is not. Teixeira found “Americans love equal opportunity” and reject “the idea that we must equalize outcomes [with] policies that promote ‘equity’ as opposed to simple equality (and) let people achieve as they will [with] no guarantee that everyone will wind up in the same place.” Massachusetts voters agree with this testament by 61% to 16%, including Democrats by 56-17, and Blacks by 56-17.
America is not perfect but it is good to be patriotic and proud of the country. Teixeira found “Americans know their country isn’t perfect but they are proud of it anyway. Patriotism is a fundamental American value that’s a problem only with progressive activists loathe to express these sentiments.” Massachusetts voters agreed with this testament by 66% to 25%, including at least 60% of all racial groups. Further, 62% of Asians, 70% of blacks, and 76% of Hispanics are “proud to be American,” compared to just 34% of progressive activists.
Discrimination and racism are bad but they are not the cause of all disparities in American society. He found that progressives hold “the view that disparities in American society can only be attributed to oppression and discrimination, but this is not the way normal voters see it, including non-white voters.” Polls in Massachusetts found this testament generated 72 to 20% agreement, with 63% of blacks, 70% of Asians and 65% of Hispanics concurring.
Calling all white people racists who benefit from white privilege and American society a white supremacist society is not right or fair. Teixeira found belief in “systemic racism” to be “commonplace in Democratic activist circles” but not in “the groups these activists claim they are representing.” The Massachusetts polls found this testament received 59-21 agreement overall, with black voters agreeing more than 2 to 1.
Racial achievement gaps are bad; however, they are not due just to racism. Standards of high achievement should be maintained for people of all races. Teixeira found Democrats increasingly associated with schooling that is “anti-meritocratic, oriented away from standardized tests, gifted and talented programs, and test-in elite schools. A de-emphasis on high and universal academic achievement standards [is not] popular among ordinary voters, including nonwhites.” Massachusetts polling found this testament was held 73-19 by all voters, including 3 to 1 by black voters.
Of course, Teixeira wants his findings to re-direct the Democrat party, but I’d argue the bigger re-set should take place on campuses and school boards. At least, the politicians can be checked by voters (see Virginia), but who’s checking the left-leaning academics at your school?