Why aren’t Asians Republicans?: Charles Murray investigates

Matt K. Lewis Senior Contributor
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When it comes to the 2012 Asian-American vote, Mitt Romney got trounced by Barack Obama. This, no doubt, prompted AEI’s Charles Murray to ask: “Why aren’t Asians Republicans?”

“Asians are only half as likely to identify themselves as ‘conservative’ or ‘very conservative’ as whites,” writes Murray. This, of course, doesn’t seem to make sense:

It’s not just that the income, occupations, and marital status of Asians should push them toward the right. Everyday observation of Asians around the world reveal them to be conspicuously entrepreneurial, industrious, family-oriented, and self-reliant. If you’re looking for a natural Republican constituency, Asians should define “natural.”

Kind of blows away the whole 47 percent, “makers versus takers” argument — at least, as an explanation for all the GOP’s electoral problems — doesn’t it?

So what’s the problem?

Murray concludes:

Republicans are seen by Asians—as they are by Latinos, blacks, and some large proportion of whites—as the party of Bible-thumping, anti-gay, anti-abortion creationists. Factually, that’s ludicrously inaccurate. In the public mind, except among Republicans, that image is taken for reality.

Murray assumes the negative stereotypes about social conservatives — not the negative stereotypes about fiscal conservatives or other factions — are to blame. There is some statistical evidence to support this, but it is probably too early to draw any sweeping conclusions. Still, his overall point is well taken.

This, of course, reinforces something I’ve been saying for quite some time — that it’s not enough to merely advocate the best, most pro-free market, most pro-Constitutional policies.

Being “right” — even on the issues that ostensibly benefit a given voting bloc — isn’t solely enough to win their votes.

Republicans have a serious image problem that must be addressed.

Matt K. Lewis