Great[er] Expectations: The Double-Edged Sword of Deracialization

Group-based identities serve as a frequent and useful lens for filtering voters’ evaluations of candidates and issues (Bobo 1988; Kuklinski and Quirk 2000; Popkin 1991). Similarly, political candidates often frame their issue priorities and presentation style to appeal to these identities and court particular constituencies (Neuman et al. 2007; Reeves 1997). The centrality of racial identification and identity in political judgments for African Americans is particularly well established (Dawson 1994; Tate 1994). African Americans use race as both a filter for political judgments (Glaser 1995) and as a basis for affective reactions to political figures (Tate 1994, 2003).