Paul Krugman: Black and Blue

The New York Times
Published: July 24, 2006

According to the White House transcript, here's how it went last week, when President Bush addressed the N.A.A.C.P. for the first time:

THE PRESIDENT: "I understand that many African-Americans distrust my political party."

AUDIENCE: "Yes! (Applause.)"

But Mr. Bush didn't talk about why African-Americans don't trust his party, and black districts are always blue on election maps. So let me fill in the blanks.

First, G.O.P. policies consistently help those who are already doing extremely well, not those lagging behind — a group that includes the vast majority of African-Americans. And both the relative and absolute economic status of blacks, after improving substantially during the Clinton years, have worsened since 2000.