Select Page

HORIST: Democrats talk diversity, but offer up old white male millionaires

Democrats talk a lot about their devotion to diversity, identity politics and political correctness.  While it has been the Party’s mantra for generations, it has never been true.  The Democrats’ historic and contemporary oppression of blacks wherever they govern is a huge example of the Party’s institutional hypocrisy.  The claim to be the Party of minorities, women and gays, but their on-the-ground treatment of each of those groups tells quite a different story.

The Party of diversity is now in the process of selecting its presidential candidate for the 2020 election.  Whether this is some ironic coincidence or an indication of a systemic hypocrisy can be debated – the facts are the facts.

Democrats started out with 26 eager-beaver candidates.  They seemed to represent most of the major so-called interest groups.  There were the traditional old white men, younger white men and even a new generation white guy.  There were blacks – men and women.  An openly gay guy.  An Asian.  A candidate with Indian blood and even one who at least claimed Native American ancestry.  Though most were Christians, there were Jews in contention for the first time.

It really looked good in terms of looking like America – at least for that moment.  But as the field began to winnow down, the real bedrock views – and maybe prejudices – of the average Democrat voter appear to have emerged.

While it is too early to know the outcomes, the recent polls suggest that three white guys are in first, second and third place – with former Vice President Joe Biden at around 3o percent, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders at 22 percent and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg at 18 percent – with Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren at 17 percent…

It is true that Warren and California Senator Kamala Harris momentarily entered the top three positions, but Warren has been relegated – at least temporarily — to a close fourth and Harris has been whack-a-moled completely out of the race.

The diversity candidates– such as New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro, businessman Andrew Yang, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar and a couple of others – are struggling to get out of low single digits.

The rules that Democrats established for their candidates do not seem to be treating the coveted people of color very well.  Booker and Castro are already complaining about the lack of minority representation in the December debate – meaning they did not make the cut.  Apparently – with Yang in the debate – they have disregarded the current Democrat racial philosophy that anyone who is NOT European white is a “person of color.”  It is such a dubious categorization that it could include Arabs, Greeks, Italians and Hamilton – George, not Alexander.

If one was inclined to bet this early in the presidential season, the best odds suggest that the Democrats will nominate an old – very old —  and rich white male as their presidential standard bearer regardless of what New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez thinks about it.

So, there ‘tis.

About The Author

Larry Horist

So, there ‘tis… The opinions, perspectives and analyses of businessman, conservative writer and political strategist Larry Horist. Larry has an extensive background in economics and public policy. For more than 40 years, he ran his own Chicago based consulting firm. His clients included such conservative icons as Steve Forbes and Milton Friedman. He has served as a consultant to the Nixon White House and travelled the country as a spokesman for President Reagan’s economic reforms. Larry professional emphasis has been on civil rights and education. He was consultant to both the Chicago and the Detroit boards of education, the Educational Choice Foundation, the Chicago Teachers Academy and the Chicago Academy for the Performing Arts. Larry has testified as an expert witness before numerous legislative bodies, including the U. S. Congress, and has lectured at colleges and universities, including Harvard, Northwestern and DePaul. He served as Executive Director of the City Club of Chicago, where he led a successful two-year campaign to save the historic Chicago Theatre from the wrecking ball. Larry has been a guest on hundreds of public affairs talk shows, and hosted his own program, “Chicago In Sight,” on WIND radio. An award-winning debater, his insightful and sometimes controversial commentaries have appeared on the editorial pages of newspapers across the nation. He is praised by audiences for his style, substance and sense of humor. Larry retired from his consulting business to devote his time to writing. His books include a humorous look at collecting, “The Acrapulators’ Guide”, and a more serious history of the Democratic Party’s role in de facto institutional racism, “Who Put Blacks in That PLACE? -- The Long Sad History of the Democratic Party’s Oppression of Black Americans ... to This Day”. Larry currently lives in Boca Raton, Florida.

2 Comments

  1. Mike Tanco

    The Black population that has bothered to get educated and listen to facts, is now getting wise to the Democrats and how they are being used every four years.

  2. Tom Oakley

    Biden is probably the only real democrat,though he goes socialist ways