this post was submitted on 09 Aug 2024
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Showerthoughts

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If you ask me, I'm upset no one picked up that this consideration was sexist and racist, although it is indeed the best choice for her to win, which reflects how bad US can't get over race and gender.

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[–] [email protected] 203 points 4 months ago (3 children)
[–] [email protected] 68 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Yes, he was the first orange person to be hired as president. He was hired despite Hillary getting more votes because he was the DEI candidate.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

was hired despite Hillary getting more votes because ~~he was the DEI candidate~~ of special admission processes.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago (1 children)

orange person

Oh damn, is oompa-loompa no longer considered acceptable?

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago

I need more of these critiques to download.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago (2 children)

This meme is so inaccurate. Everyone knows he can't say Kamala. Isn't it weird people think you should elect someone who can't even pronounce someone's name?

[–] [email protected] 16 points 4 months ago (2 children)

It’s worse than that - it’s like how he and his cronies choose not to call her “Harris” like everyone else calls him “Trump” or the president “Biden.” No one says “Joe,” or “Donald,” or “Barack.” So to add insult to disrespectful injury, they refuse to actually say her name correctly. Hence the “Kamabla” shit he’s been doing too.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I've noticed that too. It was the same with "Hillary."

Using the last name is a sign of respect that they don't think women deserve.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago (5 children)

Yeah I almost used her as an example but I didn’t want to deal with the inevitable “it’s so she isn’t confused with her husband.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago (3 children)

"Kamala" is hard to pronounce, yet they never had a problem with "Barack Hussein Obama pause for the scary middle-eastern/Islamic-sounding name to sink into racist audience"

And I love when Palin got called out directly for that and she backpedaled so hard, trying to make it sound like they always do that with everyone and started rattling off republican full names like that made a single bit of difference...

Can we get a truth-o-meter to scrutinize all candidates during debates like they do in futurama?

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[–] [email protected] 106 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Yeah, so was Biden when he was VP.

Everyone knows this, I do t know why so many people are treating it like a revelation. Mainstream news was openly saying it as soon as she announced she was running.

Her VP would be an older white guy for "diversity" of the ticket.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 4 months ago

meanwhile, trump who will claim he's "most qualified" for the job, REFUSES to let his college transcripts go public. i'm going to go out on a limb (except, not) and say he cheated his way through college, as with everything else, OR he's a straight D student, hilariously

this is of course ignoring all the lying, raping, treasoning, failed businesses, failed presidencies, and other wannabe con man shit.

but people will still vote for him, because people are stupid gullible suckers

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[–] [email protected] 84 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Almost all VPs are DEI hires.

Trump chose Pence because he had government experience and his religious conservatism helped reassure the GOP's religious voters.

Biden choosing Harris:

Biden committed to selecting a woman as his running mate ... He noted that his selection would likely be younger than he is

Obama choosing Biden:

Obama recalled that he and his advisers Axelrod and Plouffe wondered if voters would accept a ticket of "two relatively young, inexperienced, and liberal civil rights attorneys" and ultimately Obama felt the contrast between him and Biden was a strength, and that Biden being older than Obama would reassure those voters who were concerned that Obama was too young to be president

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Democratic_Party_vice_presidential_candidate_selection

Bush Jr. choosing Cheney

By picking Cheney, Bush had a running mate who had years of experience as well as an extensive foreign policy expertise.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_Republican_Party_vice_presidential_candidate_selection

Clinton was an exception:

In making the selection, Clinton emphasized Gore's experience with foreign policy and environmental issues.[1] Clinton's choice of a fellow young southern centrist defied conventional wisdom

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Democratic_Party_vice_presidential_candidate_selection

This pattern goes through the years. If the presidential candidate is a northerner, they often pick a southerner. If he's old, he chooses a younger VP candidate. If he's from a wealthy background, he chooses someone who has a more humble background. If he lacks political experience, he chooses someone who has it. If he lacks international experience, he chooses someone who has it.

All VPs are DEI hires, at least to some extent. It's accepted that if the two candidates are too similar that the ticket will fail.

[–] [email protected] 31 points 4 months ago (1 children)

If he lacks political experience, he chooses someone who has it. If he lacks international experience, he chooses someone who has it.

I mean, this just sounds like good teamwork

[–] [email protected] 39 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Fundamentally DEI is about good teamwork. You want a diverse team of people with different backgrounds and experiences.

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[–] [email protected] 72 points 4 months ago (8 children)

All VPs are basically picked because of what they are more than who they are. Since there aren’t a lot of actual duties assigned by the constitution, VPs are just picked to help win the election. That means their age, gender, skin color, birthplace, etc are more important than their achievements. That means almost all VPs, including Vance, are “DEI hires.”

[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago (7 children)

I'd argue Walz bucks this trend, at least to a certain degree. His progressive policy and seemingly unwavering integrity seems to be a huge reason he was picked. They've leaned into his achievements and republicans are desperately grasping at straws trying to criticize him.

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[–] [email protected] 38 points 4 months ago (2 children)

He’s the token white dude!

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago

I wish to have that job one day. I may even be overqualified as I'm quite pale.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago

I mean he did legalize weed... Token indeed🍃

[–] [email protected] 37 points 4 months ago (8 children)

You could also argue that he was hired for representation. The goal is not to get as many black women into power as possible, but to keep the congress diverse. So ideally, there would be half men, half women, some significant fraction black, and so on.

She could have picked another woman as a VP, and it would not have been too bad. But from a diversity perspective, it is better to represent more parts of the population in these positions.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 4 months ago (6 children)

This. I don't understand why people think diversity is a bad thing. True democracy and progress comes when everyone is well represented and everyone's opinions are heard.

With that said we have a lot of institutional barriers that need to be utterly demolished before the people will actually be heard. We have a long way to go, and the first step is to participate in your local elections and vote for the people who actually listen.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

I would love to see Gretchen Whitmer but reality says we are (hopefully) ready for a woman in charge, two is sadly pushing it. Maybe in 20-40 years, it will be something to see before I die. (I’m 50). But I’m estatic about Walz!!! He so… wholesome? “Perfect”? Perfect fit. So warm and compassionate. And the ticket has GenX! We are FINALLY represented! 💙

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I'm not sure I'm hearing anyone saying diversity is a bad thing.

People used "diversity hire" as an attack on Harris, but no one is using it as an attack on Walz, even though everyone basically immediately knew that the VP pick was going to be an older white man if only to make the ticket less of a "leap".

That an all woman ticket, a ticket with two not-white people, or anything else not "default American politician" would face issue is kinda OPs point that we still have a long way to go to overcome those institutional barriers you mention.

Needing to consider diversity or representation when picking people is a sign that something has already gone wrong.
If the system were just and those barriers didn't exist, people wouldn't consider diversity, they'd just pick the best person and the diversity would just be there as consequence of demographics. (In a fair system, the top N% of the population will have a comparable demographic breakdown to the population at large).

It's a sign of a cultural hangup that we definitely consider diversity, and need to in order to have decent representation, when making these choices, and even more sad that it's only used as a cudgel against minorities , even when they were the first pick and others are being used to offset their "riskiness".

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[–] [email protected] 31 points 4 months ago (5 children)

Yes because a black woman needs a white man to "balance" the fact... :)

America is a very strange country.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I'm not saying it's good (because it's not) but I'm unfortunately pretty certain they're correct.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (8 children)

There's a difference in saying something sexist and racist to be sexist and racist vs being practical due to other people's sexism and racism.

I don't like it any more than you, but I'm afraid they're right. While the country might benefit from two women, two POC, two women of color any variation thereupon, they might not have the best chance in certain (usually older) demographics. And unfortunately this isn't a contest we can pick the morally right choice, lose with dignity, and still come out okay.

"Stand in the ashes of a [Million] dead and ask them if honor matters... Their silence is your answer."

After going through project 2025, I do not think I am being dramatic or hyperbolic with that video game quote.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago

It's politics. People literally make a living polling people about shit like this. It may not be right or even correct.

But it's just where America is right now.

It's progress. A little at a time.

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[–] [email protected] 29 points 4 months ago (3 children)

If you care about his gender and race, YOU are part of the problem.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 months ago

Most people care, and in a democratic election is about what most people care, not what an individual cares.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 15 points 4 months ago

Walz seems to have pretty good merit, I think

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I have no idea anymore. Politics is a cult of personality now. And one’s gender and sexual identity has apparently become part of that.

It’d be really cool if it were about the politics again.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

That's what I'm saying. Can we stop focusing on people's appearance and instead pay more attention to what they have to say and their ideas?

Man, and I thought the Olympic boxer drama was disappointing. People really just want to tear each other down for no good reason.

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[–] [email protected] 29 points 4 months ago (4 children)

All VP picks are DEI hires.

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[–] [email protected] 26 points 4 months ago (4 children)

Why do you think about US politics in the shower?

[–] [email protected] 39 points 4 months ago

Same reason we think about mistakes we made in high school while we're trying to go to sleep?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Some people get off to politics.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago

It haunts us like the spectre of death.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago (2 children)

what do you think about in the shower?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago (3 children)

Not about politicians in my country, that is for sure. They're the last people I want to think about naked and soapy.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago

that's why i think about politics more broadly, not politicians.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Maybe they just stare blankly at the floor, or read the ingredients on the shampoo bottle again for the 14 thousandth time.

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[–] [email protected] 20 points 4 months ago

Would be interesting to see the GOP try to run with this messaging. As much as they hate "dei hires" they would jump all over that part, but seeing that it benefitted a white male would likely make them short circuit.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Its "Walz", no t, and yeah, Daily Show already made that association yesterday. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1geBpDjYb7c within the first minute of the clip.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 months ago

Maybe, I think, it's a possibility, that perhaps he is fit to be a VP...

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago

I didn't consider his gender and race and I liked his policies, until I read about aipac and Palestine.

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