“With or without Donald J. Trump atop the party, the Republican strategy for the 2022 elections and beyond virtually assures race – and racism – will be central to political debate for years to come. In an era when every topic seems to turn quickly to race, Republicans see this most divisive issue as either political necessity or an election-winner – including as it relates to voting laws, critical race theory, big-city crime, immigration and political correctness.”
“These topics pit the mostly white GOP against the very diverse Democratic Party. It’s unfolding in local school boards, national politics and on social media. An Axios-Ipsos poll on race relations last month shows this starkly, Axios managing editor Margaret Talev writes: ‘There’s a massive gulf between how Republicans and Democrats view race – a 66-point gap on whether the U.S. must continue making changes to give Black Americans equal rights to white Americans. There’s a 48-point gap on whether the events of the past year led to a realization there’s still a lot of racism in the U.S. – and a 49-point gap on whether the protests were good for society.’ Of all demographic groups, white people were the most resistant to structural reforms to address institutional racism – a gap driven by Republican sentiment” – Axios.