Racial politics abounds with riddles, and among the most baffling is why black leaders are soft on crime that victimizes their own voters. What candidate would possibly run on a platform “Vote for me and I’ll ignore neighborhood crime”? It makes no sense to us, but it is a rational strategy both for the office-seeker and at least some constituents. Crime pays, and not just for the perpetrators.
We must start by recognizing that political power in the United States is geographically based. With few exceptions, elections occur in districts — you vote along with those around you to choose leaders who represent a geographically defined constituency. It is also a winner-take-all system; a strong second-place finish gains nothing.
Our political vocabulary reflects the centrality of geography. A “Hispanic district” is one where Hispanics live and thus dominate elections. If these Hispanics were scattered, their political clout would be sharply diminished. Battles over redistricting and gerrymandering reflect this geographical importance, as rivals try to draw boundaries to include as many potential supporters as possible.