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How can the party of DEI so consistently fail to produce impressive, genuinely accomplished candidates?
When in doubt—and, go figure, they’re frequently in doubt these days— the DNC proffers "old white guy" career politicians like Biden and Cuomo. Or jejune nitwits like AOC and Mamdani.
Why is there no Democrat equivalent of a pediatric neurosurgeon like Ben Carson, or a military leader like Alan West? Where is the Democrat working-class-boy-made-good like J.D. Vance or Tim Scott? Heck, one would think they could ante up their own rambunctious original, someone akin to The Donald. The best they can do is John Fetterman, whose post-stroke neurological deficits are suddenly visible to Dems now that he’s disagreed with the Wokestapo on a few points, making clear he’s the exception that proves the rule. Shuffle around the Senate in a hoodie and basketball shorts, and you’re a hero. Differ on Israel and you’re suddenly a brain-damaged loon.
Diversity is and must remain at surface level: Is that the problem?
Discussion (71)
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A focus on "DEI" (especially the "D" as narrowly defined to mean immutable characteristics like race and sex) detracts from focus on excellence and accomplishments.
The celebration of a person having a particular (desired) immutable characteristic entering the arena encourages the promotion of that individual, regardless of whether that person has accomplished anything. The person then thinks he or she has accomplished something. And the person continues to think and to behave as though the person has accomplished something that in fact the person has not accomplished. The "DEI" bias encourages that person to continue in that delusion until at some point the person's lack of actual accomplishments becomes evident to a large number of others.
When your rise in the system is based on immutable characteristics, there is no incentive for you to spend a lot of time or energy on actual excellence and accomplishments. And excellence and accomplishment are less likely to happen.
I consider Kamala Harris to be a clear example of this phenomenon. Besides "DEI," she did also have the effect of being the girlfriend of a very powerful established politician. Because she had desirable "DEI" characteristics, people were afraid to point out that she lacked actual talent or capabilities. Her "accomplishments" were largely the result of the work of other people. But she apparently believed the "accomplishments" were her own. And too many others were afraid to say otherwise, lest they run afoul of the "DEI" focus of the party of "DEI." So, Kamala Harris rose until her lack of actual excellence and accomplishments became too hard to ignore.
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The party of DEI is also the party of more government is the solution to all problems.
If more government is the solution, there is no point in expending personal effort and energy trying to solve the problem privately.
If more government is the solution to health problems, there is no incentive to try to become yourself an excellent pediatric neurosurgeon (Ben Carson).
If more government is the solution to determining what business should succeed while others fail, there is no incentive to do the work of personally arranging and doing the financing of nascent businesses that you think might succeed (Tim Scott, J.D. Vance). Or to go through the hard work of building a chain of pizza restaurants (Herman Cain).
A secondary issue is that becoming a premier pediatric neurosurgeon, or a successful business financier, or pizza restaurant owner is not affected by one's immutable characteristics of race, so the party of race-obsessed DEI can't celebrate such successes as due to the person's race.
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A tertiary issue is, if you are a successful pediatric neurosurgeon, or financier, or restaurant (or other business) owner, why would you dilute your own success by promoting a system that would reward people simply because they "look like you" regardless of whether they have actually accomplished anything?
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DEI was less important during the 1970's. And the Democrats gave us Jimmy Carter. And Tip O'Neil, and Teddy Kennedy, and Robert Byrd, and so on and so forth.
Leftism elevates mediocrities to positions of power.
I don't think it's DEI.
I think it's leftism.
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