The left doesn’t believe it’s over for identity politics. On one of the election night programs I heard someone opine that this was the last time white Americans would be able to prevail. The changing demographic was a recurrent theme on all the programs I have seen (thanks to youtube that would be Fox, msnbc, nbc, cbs, abc, cnn and pbs).
That white Americans are a diminishing species, all took for granted. The Van Jones explosion (”this was a whitelash”) was tellingly received by white, white old Jeffrey Lord with benumbed silence.
It’s too soon for the media to begin grooming the next Democrat president, but in a month or so they will scour the rolls of Hispanic politicians for suitable material. In 2020 it’ll be an ethnic pick.
I agree they’ll likely go after an ethnic pick, seeking to rival Obama’s success. But I think it will fall flat. People have observed that under Obama, racial tensions and identity politics have deepened our divide.
Also, Obama was a once in a lifetime phenomenon. He didn’t prevail solely because he was half-black. He is also an incredibly gifted politician with terrific oratory skills.
It will be difficult, if not impossible to find someone with those gifts. But there might be someone out there that hasn’t risen to prominence yet. Obama’s rise was meteoric and it could happen again.