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10 years after Obama, race still agitating US politics

“Trump represents a strong, strong reaction to Obama’s presidency, while at the same time the population has become more diverse,” she said.

But Schwartz made clear that Trump “did not invent racism in America,” and that it would be a mistake to assume no Democratic voters are racist.

“I just wouldn’t say we’ve got this party of racists and this other party that always gets it right.”

– 2020 liability? –

Still, it is the Democrats who may put forward another black president, if Booker or Harris seek and win the 2020 nomination. And Obama protege Julian Castro, who is Hispanic, has jumped into the contest.

Their minority status should not be a hindrance in 2020, argues politics professor Jennifer Lawless of the University of Virginia.

“There’s nothing to suggest that it would be a liability, in the Democratic primary anyway,” she said.

Would non-white heritage be a burden for a post-Trump Republican candidate?

Nikki Haley, until recently Trump’s United Nations ambassador, has an inspiring back-story as the child of Indian immigrants.

Should she ever run for president, as some observers predict, she will be closely watched for how she presents her ancestry, and for whether conservatives will come out in force to support her.

Obama’s historic turn was a huge advance, but it would be naive to believe the nation is post-racial, said Senator Tim Kaine, who was Hillary Clinton’s 2016 running mate.

“There is no easy next chapter to life in America where we don’t think about racial issues,” Kaine told AFP, adding that the country is experiencing a counteraction to Obama’s presidency.

“I just look at it as you make an advance, there’s a backlash,” he said. “You never go back as far as you did, and you start advancing again.”

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