NY Politics = Race
Lurking just underneath the partisan battle that broke out this week is an uglier, longer-running rift within the Democratic Party. For years, Latino lawmakers have resented playing junior partner to the state’s powerful black establishment, which has supplied New York with a mayor for its largest city, a governor, and, last winter, the first black Senate majority leader: Malcolm A. Smith, who held that post until Mr. Espada and Mr. Monserrate defected this week.
I hate to ever get into the term meritocracy, as it has been so heavily abused by Republicans over the years – and being a white guy who actually believes in affirmative action (while hardly a slam dunk solution for racial equality, it certainly has it’s place on the table of options). But in this case, looking at our astoundingly dysfunctional State Legislature… I’m sorry. The person I want leading the Senate, the person I want a heartbeat (or scandal) away from being the Governor, should be the best possible leader. I don’t give a crap about race or ethnicity – and let’s be honest here: neither should anybody else. I find any other line of thinking deeply depressing, and I hope my generation will be able to significantly dilute such cynical behavior.
Latino-Black Rivalry Helped Fuel G.O.P.’s Takeover of State Senate (New York Times)
