I would say that it is a little broader than that, although that is at the center of it. People want government to work, and to reflect baseline values. I can tell you that in Washington DC, in the aftermath of Marion Barry, the question became pretty fundamental, for example, how to stop the drain of middle- class taxpayers (including blacks) from the city; how to increase business investment; how to get the city on a sound financial footing, ending rampant corruption and incompetency; and so forth. It came down to things like improving trash collection and snow removal, repairing roads, increasing police presence on the streets, getting rid of featherbedding in city offices, careful accounting with periodic audits, and the like. Thus, DC elected the closest thing to a Republican that was electable in a predominantly black city: Tony Williams (moderate Democrat), who tightened things up, provided improved services, and encouraged people to hope that the days of maladministration were gone.
It helped that Mayor Williams is totally square. No one would suspect him of using crack or whoring his way around town, like Barry. Barry, of course, was far more attractive and charismatic, and had overwhelming support in the poorest wards, but a lot of people were sick of him embarrassing the city and flouting the conventions of responsible, hardworking, churchgoing people, as much as anything else.
Of course, as a Democrat and an African- American, Williams did not have to prove he was not a racist, or that he had compassion for the impoverished. But that onus is decreasing, even on conservative Republicans. Relatively few people really believe that Republicans want to starve granny or toss children into the street, or that they are trying to thwart the aspirations of women, even if they happen to oppose abortion, or that they are trying to keep blacks down, even if they oppose quotas. Heck, most blacks oppose quotas, while favoring affirmative action, and most Republicans would be perfectly happy to employ outreach recruiting to improve diversity. No one in his right mind thinks that Colin Powell or Condoleeza Rice are just tokens, however.
Anyway, people want to feel that government is working properly, is in competent and honest hands, and that those in charge share a lot of their values. There are Democrats who fill the bill, as Tony Williams did, but Republicans are generally viewed as being more hard- headed and square, and that is a plus, at this point. Since more people accept that Republicans care about children, seniors, and minorities, and that the federal government does not have all the answers, there is no longer a strong sense that opposing certain initiatives means that one is hostile to their intent, instead of dubious that they are worth the money and effort. Thus, people are reflecting their overall confidence in the President, as opposed to the Democratic leadership in Congress...... |
