Women of color are emerging as a powerful voting bloc. Don't dismiss them

Remember when the so-called "soccer moms" were all the rage, a nod to the voting power of white, suburban women?

Politicians fell all over themselves, and sometimes stumbled badly, to court the overly generalized cohort. Gaffs included far too many references to the minivans that they didn't all drive and offensive depictions of cul-de-sac dwellers too harried to juggle a professional career and motherhood.

That was 1996.