69 million page views

Demographics -- rethihnking

Reader comment on item: Michael Oren Interviewed by Daniel Pipes

Submitted by Michael S (United States), Jul 2, 2015 at 17:47

Michael was right about the demographic change in the US; I was wrong. There has definitely been a change, though (1) it is not what people generally think, and (2) it does not explain Obama's getting elected. Some figures:

Racial Make-up of the US (2010):

  • Non-Hispanic White: 64%
  • Non-Hispanic Black: 12% (17% in 1940)
  • Hispanic: 16%
  • Other, incl mixed: 8%

-- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_United_States

Obama was not elected because whites in the US suddenly got deluged by an influx of nonwhites. Look at the numbers: 64% is a significant majority; and the majority among voting-age Americans is considerably larger. Obama was elected largely by WHITE Americans, who have changed INSIDE, not by some new demographic group.

Concerning marriage, 52% of Americans in 2010 were married, compared with 61% in 1940. That's a decline, but not as great as one would think from watching TV sitcoms

Never married: 35% in 2010, 33% in 1940 -- hardly any change

Divorced: 10% in 2010 vs. 1% in 1940. That IS a significant change (It almost single-handedly shows why there are 9% fewer married people now than 70 years ago); but again, it is a change happening between people's ears. Spaceships did not invade us and fill the earth with divorced people.

The US has been gradually getting older and more educated; and white people are having fewer children. Over the years, this has taken a toll; but the US does not look like it does on TV: Yes, half of the two talk-show hosts on PBS (consisting of Charlie Rose and Tavis Smiley) are black: but Charlie speaks for some 70+ % of the viewing audience, and Tavis for about 10%. Latinos are not represented at all; they're just talked about, even though they outnumber Blacks.

Maybe that's why it's hard to find a straight, married white person on "regular" TV programming (homosexuals make up less than 5% of the US population), but the "oldies" on MeTV and This are nearly all white: Modern viewers, who live in a fantasy that all the white people have disappeared in the US can watch the "regular" programming; but because most of the audience are whites, they throw in the "nostalgic' shows.

I won't pretend that the US hasn't changed; but it's ridiculous to think that we got a "black" President because we've suddenly become a nation of black people. I'm white, and so is most of my extended family. My grandchildren are half Chinese; but they aren't old enough to vote yet. They did not vote Obama into office: The ones who voted him in were largely white Baby Boomers like me, who had their minds deranged by drugs and professors in the 1960s and 1970s, and by their children some of whom never heard of Noah or Moses, and who think Jesus is a rock star on rehab.

Shalom shalom :-)

Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Submit a comment on this item

Reader comments (17) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Mike Oren is wrong [170 words]DianneJul 23, 2015 18:24224392
Perhaps the whole fundament for US-relationship to Middle East has shifted? [113 words]Dian (Dina) Grossman KjaergaardJul 16, 2015 15:53224267
Regarding your interview with Michael Oren [73 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Linda CooperJul 14, 2015 15:16224207
Security [75 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Jack DanielsJul 13, 2015 16:04224181
Positions and Positions [41 words]Arnie RubensteinJul 13, 2015 15:45224179
Michael Oren Interview [18 words]Ilbert PhillipsJul 13, 2015 11:52224174
3Demographics -- rethihnking [475 words]Michael SJul 2, 2015 17:47224025
Thank you [47 words]AnnaJul 14, 2015 12:17224025
"Fits" of Rage [40 words]Michael SJul 16, 2015 10:09224025
1Not a "demographic shift" [773 words]Michael SJul 2, 2015 08:10224024
To clarify [30 words]AnnaJul 14, 2015 12:23224024
On clearing the throat, and Dutch speech in general. [306 words]Michael SJul 16, 2015 10:04224024
On Being Dutch [259 words]AnnaJul 26, 2015 01:42224024
Heretics, Politically Incorrect, and Speakers of Strange Languages [924 words]Michael SAug 2, 2015 16:30224024
2Why did Michael Oren think the state department applauded Morsi's election? [76 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Anon.Jun 28, 2015 22:13223990
3June 15 2013 rally in Cairo led by Morsi [83 words]dhimmi no moreJul 3, 2015 17:27223990
Since when is "Democracy" a superior religion to the Bible? [523 words]Michael SAug 5, 2015 10:03223990

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)