This post exemplifies everything that I think is important about political argument. It displays memory (bringing up an issue that is more than a week old), data (actual information upon which to base a judgement) and context (puts the data in relation to other information). Also it overthrows some pretty appalling common wisdom.

Also, also, even if you bought the old “10% of the votes came from blacks and 70% of blacks voted in favour” story: YOU IDIOTS. WHERE DID YOU THINK THE OTHER VOTES THAT KNOCKED IT OVER 50% CAME FROM?

There are people in my business who took to the highest hills to decry the betrayal of black Californians, and to this day, are giddily noting that blacks sunk marriage equality in California, who foist the failure of marriage equality on seven percent of the electorate . I will not speculate on their motives. But let’s see how loudly they address this study. Let’s see how much ink we see spilled revisiting those assumptions. Or will it be on to the next calamity, where the blacks–or the Arabs, or the Latinos–can be trotted out and blamed for the failings of others. For the failings of us all.

photo credit: Peter Davis