Once again, I’m very happy to have subscribed to your channel. Chris, you always seem to find a balance when reporting on difficult topics, DEI being one of them. Your integrity and intellect continue to drive you in the right direction! Keep up the excellent work!
Thanks Chris for covering this challenging topic of race in the race. This is an interesting strategy for Republicans that they are trying to shut down individual members referring to Harris as a DEI hire or nominee. My view is that the people that these sorts of statements are aimed at (ie reminding them that Kamala Harris is black) are most likely voting for Trump anyway. Saying it out loud, for me is more of a benefit to Democrats – that is, Democrats or independents that lean left, would possibly feel (as I do, if I were able to vote – I am foreign) that is an unfair and even nasty statement and it would motivate me to rather cast a vote against the Republicans for making an issue of it. I think that the Republican leadership perhaps recognises this and is why they have come out to discourage their members from going down this route.
Also, in my experience (I am a white man living in South Africa), the people that make a hue and cry about race in this manner are usually white men and women who are either racist-leaning or at best tone deaf to the difficulties that being black has engendered in modern multiracial societies.
The DEI line of attack angers me. For over 200 years, the upper echelons of political power were classified as “ only white men need apply. “ As soon as others started breaking through, some white guys started screaming “only merit should count” and along with that saying that Harris ( or Justice Jackson or fill in the blank) were picked solely because of identity. Does identity play a role? Yes, but that’s not inconsistent with merit and qualifications. When considering Shapiro, his religion & presence in a swing state play a role. Kelly’s identity as a former astronaut & swing state pol is relevant. Harris worked up through the ranks of relevant positions. She displayed her brilliance and competence along the way. Rs’ efforts to diminish her will , I hope, backfire, especially given that their guy is a know-nothing whose main credentials consist of being an oft failed biz man and game show host.
I'm glad you addressed this, Chris. The other thing I've noticed is the really ugly comments about her "motherhood" status. Apparently, a woman can't make decisions for our country unless she has given birth to a baby. Laura Loomer is spouting nastiness about how she probably couldn't have a baby because she's "probably" had so many abortions. Someone (I think it was JD Vance) said that "being a stepmother doesn't count"!
The GOP is making it clear that they hate women and can't accept the idea of women in a position of authority.
Yes!!! Every story like this is going to land voters for Kamala. Republicans just can’t help but make racist and misogynistic comments.
This is how she wins the independent voters and persuadable Republicans - not by harping on Trump’s myriad character flaws that everyone is more than familiar with.
A qualified person may happen to be a minority. To claim that such a person was hired merely because of their minority status is offensive to me. I happen to think she's qualified. Some may not. Let's talk about objective qualifications, not the dog whistle of being a DEI hire. Chris, you dealt well with a challenging topic.
Absolutely spot on. Not to mention they don’t think about industries where a white man might actually be “diversity” hire material. Like elementary education.
Using the non-racist definition of racism, Biden deciding that he'd only consider black women as vice presidential candidates was a racist act. Kamala chose to benefit from that act, and that says something about her character, which is worth discussing.
If Trump announced he would only consider whites for his VP, and then picked a white man, we'd consider that VP complicit.
Have the Republicans ever nominated anyone who wasn't a white guy and typically older? Can they not wrap their heads around the possibility that maybe nominating someone of a different race/gender might actually be a good idea?
Spoken like an entitled white male. If the last handful of years has been so painful as a white male, just imagine what is must have been like to be discriminated against for hundreds of years. So take whatever outrage you feel and just know that others have been feeling the same way for centuries. Suffering is good for the soul.
No, it does the opposite. The notion that all white men getting hired got there on merit but everyone else is there because of DEI is about as racist as you can get.
Ironic that white men are crying “DEI” ! Up until a minute ago, the most qualified person was never chosen for. The job; it was always a white, Christian, heterosexual male. Women, gays and POC need not apply.
Yes, she doesn't have a law degree, hasn't served as a prosecutor, an AG, and a senator. They just plucked her from her lowly hovel and elevated her because she was a woman of mixed race.
That is so interesting. Working in education I know that DEI actually can benefit men in some cases. For example, elementary education is dominated extremely by women. When we were hiring for a permanent teaching post, we did give interviews to any men who were qualified because there are a lack of men in elementary education and it is nice to give boys in school role models to look up to. We did also interview women, white women, black women, etc. Did we consider the diversity of the staff when offering interviews? But once they have the interview that’s where that special consideration ends. We hire the best person for the job because that is what you want. Oh, the post did end up going to a white man, in case you were wondering. Now we have two male teachers instead of 1 and 32 women. 😉
Good morning Chris, I wanted to THANK YOU for covering this very delicate topic on So What? I absolutely agree with you that there are some folks in this country who will specifically not vote for Kamala bc she is African American. For the record, there are also some folks in this country who WILL vote for her because she is African American. I made the mistake of watching CNN (not for the channel but the commentary) yesterday and listening to some House GOPers who called it the DEI candidate and I absolutely cringed. You could just see the hate in their heart when they are saying that. Now, do I think that its a diversionary tactic because they (GOPers in General and/or Trump) are panicking bc Biden isn't running any more and they see that Kamala could potentially beat Trump? I do believe that, yes. I think that that is (partially) why they are doing that. I think the worst part about it is that there are folks in this country who BELIEVE that. That she couldn't be a good candidate for President because of her race and gender. And that is such a shame! Anyway, my four (or five) cents on it!
Chris - appreciate your putting this out there. Will be hard for everyone - more than a lot of people know or realize about themselves, even those who truly believe they are not racist.
I think it's less a "hard topic" than one that makes people uncomfortable. It's not enough to give lip service to the notion that "racism is bad." One has to be affirmatively anti-racist.
I'm reminded of a scene in "Gentleman's Agreement" where Dorothy Maguire tells John Garfield how she was burning with shame when someone made an antisemitic remark in her presence. He asked her if she said anything and she admitted she had not.
To those who resent being called racist here's an easy solution: stop talking and acting like one. JD Vance's ridiculous comment that he'd be accused of being a racist for drinking Diet Mountain Dew (yuck!) shows he's part of the problem, not the solution.
Have you thought of interviewing an expert in DEI so we can all learn more about what it is, how companies use it and of course how absurd calling Harris a DEI candidate is?
This is not a “hard topic”. It’s very easy. It's just hard to talk about because it so repulsive.
Cries of “DEI HIRE” from Republicans is, in fact racist, and it is is meant to appeal to racists.
Trump’s whole political careers’ FOUNDATION is racism. Full. Stop.
He rose to prominence in the GOP with his racist “birther” smear against President Obama.
The day he announced his candidacy in 2015 he based it on blatant, vicious, racist attacks of “illegal immigrants”....of course Brown skinned Mexicans.
Since that fated day in 2015, he wears his racism like a badge of honor.
To the subject of Kamala Harris being a “DEI Hire”. That, obviously IS, in FACT a racist attack.
Was VP Harris selected because she is a Black woman? Yes, that was a critical part of Joe Biden’s smart decision.
Did her being a Black woman mean she was not qualified??? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!! THERE’S THE FLAW in the racist smear!!
She was (and still is) eminently qualified. EXTREMELY qualified.
The reality is that ALL VP’s are selected BECAUSE OF THEIR IDENTITY!!!
JD Vance was picked BECAUSE he is a White male. He is woefully UNQUALIFIED for the job.
Mike Pence was picked BECAUSE he was a White male.
President Obama picked Joe Biden BECAUSE he was an OLD White male.
John McCain picked Sarah Palin BECAUSE she was a White woman. She too was woefully UNQUALIFIED for the job.
Kamala Harris is going to pick her VP (most probably Mark Kelly or Josh Shapiro) BECAUSE they are WHITE MEN!!!
This country has had 46 presidents FORTY FIVE have been WHITE MEN!!
Sense a pattern here???
What right wingers get wrong about DEI is that when presented with a substantial number EQUALLY QUALIFIED candidates for the VP job and really ANY job, the effort to take into consideration to encourage a diverse workforce is a GOOD thing.
To NOT do so is a form a racism.
To smear Kamala Harris as a “DEI Hire” IS, in FACT racist.
Of course, racists like Donald Trump could not stop there. He said the quiet part OUT LOUD…saying the extremely intelligent VP Harris is “as dumb as a rock”
You preempted my Thursday question! I was going to ask you to address this dog whistle tactic of lawmakers (like Tennessee's Tim Burchett) calling the SS Director a DEI hire, and also inevitably, Kamala Harris. This ignorant dog whistle from white men who seem to fear women and minorities is pretty sickening and totally ignores their experience and qualifications. I also noticed a comment from one of your followers this week who wondered if Kamala and Gretchen Whitmer couldn't work together as two women because one of them might get jealous... Come on guys! Your comments just reflect badly on you, and aren't going to stop smart and talented women from getting things done.
Setting the election up as Republicans vs people of color and women isn’t going to end well for them. It’s actually energizing women and people of color for Harris. Vs energizing old white men who can’t walk very well when they attacked Biden lol
Is she a DEI candidate, yes. Is it a “tough” or “seedy” topic, no. It’s a fact. JB sat down with Charlamanga tha God and said he was gonna take a black female as his running mate. That is DEI. Nothing difficult about that. Like you say there are a variety of reasons people vote for or against a candidate. VP Harris has shown to be a poor candidate, people have noticed (hence her departure from the 2020 race before any votes were cast) If people don’t support her that is a decision each individual makes, that’s democracy. Buckle up November not that far away……
That diversity is a weight - even a heavy weight- on the scale doesn’t mean that merit is lacking. For generations, it was a foregone conclusion that only white guys would be considered for high office. I think it’s great that Biden took steps to address that inequity. As for whether Harris is a good candidate, her credentials dwarf those of a know-nothing former game show host and serial bankruptcy filer and criminal whose term was chock full of chaos and broken promises. Yes, she got nowhere in her first run for POTUS. Same was true in Biden’s earlier runs. She did quite well in California and is off to a good start now. So, I understand why right wingers are scared and playing the race card early and often
Yes, Biden was honest in his effort to address a pattern of obvious discrimination in selection.It’s true Nixon never said I’m limiting my choice to white guys as he nominated clowns like Carswell. Was that better than intellectual honesty? For those unaware, merit and diversity can co-exist, and there are many qualified POC and/or women from whom to choose. Even Romney had “binders.” Is it your contention that a seasoned prosecutor, State AG, and sitting Senator lacked credentials?
You really think his intellectual honesty was the problem? Think they wouldn’t have said the same thing w/o Biden’s candor? Rs trade heavily and depend on their base’s fear of demographic and social change. They will hit those notes no matter what Ds do or say.
I was merely setting the record straight on what parameters Biden put on choosing his Veep in 2020 and analyzing why people on the right (which is not me) have issues with that.
Once again, I’m very happy to have subscribed to your channel. Chris, you always seem to find a balance when reporting on difficult topics, DEI being one of them. Your integrity and intellect continue to drive you in the right direction! Keep up the excellent work!
Thanks, Jeff. Not an easy topic.
Thanks Chris for covering this challenging topic of race in the race. This is an interesting strategy for Republicans that they are trying to shut down individual members referring to Harris as a DEI hire or nominee. My view is that the people that these sorts of statements are aimed at (ie reminding them that Kamala Harris is black) are most likely voting for Trump anyway. Saying it out loud, for me is more of a benefit to Democrats – that is, Democrats or independents that lean left, would possibly feel (as I do, if I were able to vote – I am foreign) that is an unfair and even nasty statement and it would motivate me to rather cast a vote against the Republicans for making an issue of it. I think that the Republican leadership perhaps recognises this and is why they have come out to discourage their members from going down this route.
Also, in my experience (I am a white man living in South Africa), the people that make a hue and cry about race in this manner are usually white men and women who are either racist-leaning or at best tone deaf to the difficulties that being black has engendered in modern multiracial societies.
100%
When Republicans have to tell others to stop with the race baiting....
The DEI line of attack angers me. For over 200 years, the upper echelons of political power were classified as “ only white men need apply. “ As soon as others started breaking through, some white guys started screaming “only merit should count” and along with that saying that Harris ( or Justice Jackson or fill in the blank) were picked solely because of identity. Does identity play a role? Yes, but that’s not inconsistent with merit and qualifications. When considering Shapiro, his religion & presence in a swing state play a role. Kelly’s identity as a former astronaut & swing state pol is relevant. Harris worked up through the ranks of relevant positions. She displayed her brilliance and competence along the way. Rs’ efforts to diminish her will , I hope, backfire, especially given that their guy is a know-nothing whose main credentials consist of being an oft failed biz man and game show host.
Great comment, thank you.
I'm glad you addressed this, Chris. The other thing I've noticed is the really ugly comments about her "motherhood" status. Apparently, a woman can't make decisions for our country unless she has given birth to a baby. Laura Loomer is spouting nastiness about how she probably couldn't have a baby because she's "probably" had so many abortions. Someone (I think it was JD Vance) said that "being a stepmother doesn't count"!
The GOP is making it clear that they hate women and can't accept the idea of women in a position of authority.
Powerful comment.
Yes!!! Every story like this is going to land voters for Kamala. Republicans just can’t help but make racist and misogynistic comments.
This is how she wins the independent voters and persuadable Republicans - not by harping on Trump’s myriad character flaws that everyone is more than familiar with.
A qualified person may happen to be a minority. To claim that such a person was hired merely because of their minority status is offensive to me. I happen to think she's qualified. Some may not. Let's talk about objective qualifications, not the dog whistle of being a DEI hire. Chris, you dealt well with a challenging topic.
Absolutely spot on. Not to mention they don’t think about industries where a white man might actually be “diversity” hire material. Like elementary education.
Using the non-racist definition of racism, Biden deciding that he'd only consider black women as vice presidential candidates was a racist act. Kamala chose to benefit from that act, and that says something about her character, which is worth discussing.
If Trump announced he would only consider whites for his VP, and then picked a white man, we'd consider that VP complicit.
Have the Republicans ever nominated anyone who wasn't a white guy and typically older? Can they not wrap their heads around the possibility that maybe nominating someone of a different race/gender might actually be a good idea?
DEI discriminates based on race and gender. Kamala was selected for her race and gender. Dishonest spin to present critiques on these facts as racist.
Companies are being sued for DEI policies. Maybe you were fired because you were not diverse enough ;)
Spoken like an entitled white male. If the last handful of years has been so painful as a white male, just imagine what is must have been like to be discriminated against for hundreds of years. So take whatever outrage you feel and just know that others have been feeling the same way for centuries. Suffering is good for the soul.
No, it does the opposite. The notion that all white men getting hired got there on merit but everyone else is there because of DEI is about as racist as you can get.
Perfect response. White makes have had every advantage,,legal and otherwise, since the beginning of our country.,Full disclosure, I am a white male.
Ironic that white men are crying “DEI” ! Up until a minute ago, the most qualified person was never chosen for. The job; it was always a white, Christian, heterosexual male. Women, gays and POC need not apply.
Damn. That says it much better than I did. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
This fully demonstrates you have no idea what DEI really is.
Yes, she doesn't have a law degree, hasn't served as a prosecutor, an AG, and a senator. They just plucked her from her lowly hovel and elevated her because she was a woman of mixed race.
When dealing with folks like this, it’s not a safe assumption that they will understand irony…!
Good point!
And was elected and serves as VP of the US
Oops, yes, I left that off her resume!
Been there, done that. No worries.🙂
That is so interesting. Working in education I know that DEI actually can benefit men in some cases. For example, elementary education is dominated extremely by women. When we were hiring for a permanent teaching post, we did give interviews to any men who were qualified because there are a lack of men in elementary education and it is nice to give boys in school role models to look up to. We did also interview women, white women, black women, etc. Did we consider the diversity of the staff when offering interviews? But once they have the interview that’s where that special consideration ends. We hire the best person for the job because that is what you want. Oh, the post did end up going to a white man, in case you were wondering. Now we have two male teachers instead of 1 and 32 women. 😉
The same used to be true in nursing. Now it's lousy with them... ;-)
https://www.factcheck.org/2020/08/false-ad-about-bidens-vp-pick/
Good morning Chris, I wanted to THANK YOU for covering this very delicate topic on So What? I absolutely agree with you that there are some folks in this country who will specifically not vote for Kamala bc she is African American. For the record, there are also some folks in this country who WILL vote for her because she is African American. I made the mistake of watching CNN (not for the channel but the commentary) yesterday and listening to some House GOPers who called it the DEI candidate and I absolutely cringed. You could just see the hate in their heart when they are saying that. Now, do I think that its a diversionary tactic because they (GOPers in General and/or Trump) are panicking bc Biden isn't running any more and they see that Kamala could potentially beat Trump? I do believe that, yes. I think that that is (partially) why they are doing that. I think the worst part about it is that there are folks in this country who BELIEVE that. That she couldn't be a good candidate for President because of her race and gender. And that is such a shame! Anyway, my four (or five) cents on it!
Chris - appreciate your putting this out there. Will be hard for everyone - more than a lot of people know or realize about themselves, even those who truly believe they are not racist.
It's such a hard topic.
I think it's less a "hard topic" than one that makes people uncomfortable. It's not enough to give lip service to the notion that "racism is bad." One has to be affirmatively anti-racist.
I'm reminded of a scene in "Gentleman's Agreement" where Dorothy Maguire tells John Garfield how she was burning with shame when someone made an antisemitic remark in her presence. He asked her if she said anything and she admitted she had not.
To those who resent being called racist here's an easy solution: stop talking and acting like one. JD Vance's ridiculous comment that he'd be accused of being a racist for drinking Diet Mountain Dew (yuck!) shows he's part of the problem, not the solution.
Have you thought of interviewing an expert in DEI so we can all learn more about what it is, how companies use it and of course how absurd calling Harris a DEI candidate is?
Amen, brother!
This is not a “hard topic”. It’s very easy. It's just hard to talk about because it so repulsive.
Cries of “DEI HIRE” from Republicans is, in fact racist, and it is is meant to appeal to racists.
Trump’s whole political careers’ FOUNDATION is racism. Full. Stop.
He rose to prominence in the GOP with his racist “birther” smear against President Obama.
The day he announced his candidacy in 2015 he based it on blatant, vicious, racist attacks of “illegal immigrants”....of course Brown skinned Mexicans.
Since that fated day in 2015, he wears his racism like a badge of honor.
To the subject of Kamala Harris being a “DEI Hire”. That, obviously IS, in FACT a racist attack.
Was VP Harris selected because she is a Black woman? Yes, that was a critical part of Joe Biden’s smart decision.
Did her being a Black woman mean she was not qualified??? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!! THERE’S THE FLAW in the racist smear!!
She was (and still is) eminently qualified. EXTREMELY qualified.
The reality is that ALL VP’s are selected BECAUSE OF THEIR IDENTITY!!!
JD Vance was picked BECAUSE he is a White male. He is woefully UNQUALIFIED for the job.
Mike Pence was picked BECAUSE he was a White male.
President Obama picked Joe Biden BECAUSE he was an OLD White male.
John McCain picked Sarah Palin BECAUSE she was a White woman. She too was woefully UNQUALIFIED for the job.
Kamala Harris is going to pick her VP (most probably Mark Kelly or Josh Shapiro) BECAUSE they are WHITE MEN!!!
This country has had 46 presidents FORTY FIVE have been WHITE MEN!!
Sense a pattern here???
What right wingers get wrong about DEI is that when presented with a substantial number EQUALLY QUALIFIED candidates for the VP job and really ANY job, the effort to take into consideration to encourage a diverse workforce is a GOOD thing.
To NOT do so is a form a racism.
To smear Kamala Harris as a “DEI Hire” IS, in FACT racist.
Of course, racists like Donald Trump could not stop there. He said the quiet part OUT LOUD…saying the extremely intelligent VP Harris is “as dumb as a rock”
His racist cult cheers!!!!
You preempted my Thursday question! I was going to ask you to address this dog whistle tactic of lawmakers (like Tennessee's Tim Burchett) calling the SS Director a DEI hire, and also inevitably, Kamala Harris. This ignorant dog whistle from white men who seem to fear women and minorities is pretty sickening and totally ignores their experience and qualifications. I also noticed a comment from one of your followers this week who wondered if Kamala and Gretchen Whitmer couldn't work together as two women because one of them might get jealous... Come on guys! Your comments just reflect badly on you, and aren't going to stop smart and talented women from getting things done.
Setting the election up as Republicans vs people of color and women isn’t going to end well for them. It’s actually energizing women and people of color for Harris. Vs energizing old white men who can’t walk very well when they attacked Biden lol
Is she a DEI candidate, yes. Is it a “tough” or “seedy” topic, no. It’s a fact. JB sat down with Charlamanga tha God and said he was gonna take a black female as his running mate. That is DEI. Nothing difficult about that. Like you say there are a variety of reasons people vote for or against a candidate. VP Harris has shown to be a poor candidate, people have noticed (hence her departure from the 2020 race before any votes were cast) If people don’t support her that is a decision each individual makes, that’s democracy. Buckle up November not that far away……
That diversity is a weight - even a heavy weight- on the scale doesn’t mean that merit is lacking. For generations, it was a foregone conclusion that only white guys would be considered for high office. I think it’s great that Biden took steps to address that inequity. As for whether Harris is a good candidate, her credentials dwarf those of a know-nothing former game show host and serial bankruptcy filer and criminal whose term was chock full of chaos and broken promises. Yes, she got nowhere in her first run for POTUS. Same was true in Biden’s earlier runs. She did quite well in California and is off to a good start now. So, I understand why right wingers are scared and playing the race card early and often
Best of luck to you with this candidate in November
Biden actually committed to picking a woman for Vice President and a black woman for the Supreme Court. https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/11/politics/biden-vp-pick/index.html
So Biden is the one who set that attack up for the right, instead of just saying he was going to pick the best candidate.
Yes, Biden was honest in his effort to address a pattern of obvious discrimination in selection.It’s true Nixon never said I’m limiting my choice to white guys as he nominated clowns like Carswell. Was that better than intellectual honesty? For those unaware, merit and diversity can co-exist, and there are many qualified POC and/or women from whom to choose. Even Romney had “binders.” Is it your contention that a seasoned prosecutor, State AG, and sitting Senator lacked credentials?
You really think his intellectual honesty was the problem? Think they wouldn’t have said the same thing w/o Biden’s candor? Rs trade heavily and depend on their base’s fear of demographic and social change. They will hit those notes no matter what Ds do or say.
I was merely setting the record straight on what parameters Biden put on choosing his Veep in 2020 and analyzing why people on the right (which is not me) have issues with that.
Accomplished, intelligent "DEI" candidate v adjudicated rapist, convicted felon, seditious, treasonous imbecile. Tough choice.