海角大神

My first reaction on hearing of the Senate鈥檚 failure to get 60 votes for even modest measures to regulate the flow of guns into the hands of people who shouldn鈥檛 have them, such as background checks supported by 90 percent of Americans, was to be furious at the spinelessness of the four Senate Democrats who voted against the measure (Mark Begich, Max Baucus, Mark Pryor, and Heidi Heitkamp), as well as the Republicans. And also with Harry Reid, who wouldn鈥檛 lead the fight on changing the filibuster rule when he had the chance.聽

The deeper message here is that rural, older, white America occupies one land; younger, urban, increasingly non-white America lives in another. And the dividing line on social issues (not just guns, but also abortion, equal marriage rights, and immigration reform) runs between the two.

Yes, I know: Plenty of people who are rural, older, and white aren鈥檛 regressives on guns, abortion, equal marriage, and immigration. And plenty who are urban, younger, and non-white are. My point is that if you want to explain what鈥檚 happening in America on these non-economic issues you have to understand what鈥檚 happening to the nation demographically 鈥� and why the demographic split is important.聽

Begich, Baucus, Pryor, and Heitkamp may be Democrats but they鈥檙e also from rural, older, white America. That land has disproportionate political power in the Senate, and a gerrymandered House 鈥� which may not bode well for immigration reform over the next few months, and suggests continuing battles over 鈥渟tate鈥檚 rights鈥� to determine who can marry and when human life begins.聽

Over time, though, older, rural, white America is losing ground to a nation becoming ever younger, more urban, and increasingly non-white 鈥� a fact that threatens the former so much that it鈥檚 in full backlash against the forces of change.聽