Identity politics seem to have made a 180-degree reversal this week as Hillary Clinton and Marco Rubio announced their candidacies for 2016. In the last two presidential elections, Democratic victories were propelled by racial minorities and the young, while Republicans relied heavily on older whites. In both cases, the candidates’ own demographic identities reflected their parties’ bases (President Obama versus John McCain and Mitt Romney, respectively). In this round it is conceivable that Clinton, a white baby-boom senior, will be the Democratic standard bearer and, Rubio, a Hispanic Gen Xer, could carry the GOP mantle. CONT.
William H. Frey, Brookings Institution