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Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

Why Is the Democratic Primary So White?

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

New York Times Opinion

New York Times, Journalism, News, Society & Culture, Ross Douthat

4.07.2K Ratings

🗓️ 12 December 2019

⏱️ 29 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The Democratic Party’s electorate is highly diverse, but its top-polling presidential contenders are all white. What gives? The columnists talk Kamala Harris’s exit from the race, Cory Booker’s failure to launch and the polling ascendancy of their white opponents. Then, “ok boomer” is more than just a dismissive meme. From culture to politics, the columnists talk why we can’t escape the baby boomer generation. For background reading on this episode, visit nytimes.com/theargument.

Transcript

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0:00.0

I'm Shell Goldberg.

0:01.4

I'm Ross Douthit.

0:02.5

I'm David Leonhart, and this is the argument.

0:07.6

This week, how did the Democratic presidential field get so white?

0:12.1

Some people think that this is not a year that we can take a risk.

0:16.8

And people, I think, wrongly see nominating a candidate of color or woman candidate as a risk.

0:24.4

Then, okay, Boomer, it's more than an internet meme.

0:28.2

We talk about the cultural staying power of the baby Boomer generation and the frustration over it.

0:34.1

I don't know has there ever been a generation that has left America so much worse than when they inherited it?

0:40.5

And finally, a recommendation.

0:42.9

You have to go into it knowing that people are going to starve to death, resort to cannibalism, you know, terrible things are going to happen.

0:51.5

When the 2020 presidential campaign began, the Democratic field included multiple candidates of color.

0:58.5

Two black senators, a Latino former cabinet secretary, and an Asian-American entrepreneur.

1:04.5

But all of those candidates have trailed badly in the polls.

1:08.5

And with Kamala Harris dropping out of the race, the first six candidates to qualify for the December debate are all white.

1:16.5

It's a very strange situation given how diverse the Democratic electorate is.

1:21.1

So, Michelle, why do you think this is happening?

1:24.5

So, look, I mean, this is one of these conversations where I wish it wasn't just, you know, three of us white people talking about it.

1:30.5

But I think that there is such tremendous fear in the Democratic electorate.

1:38.5

There's African-American Democrats who genuinely love Joe Biden, who appreciate him being Barack Obama's vice president, who have faith in him.

1:48.5

And so, I don't want to impute, you know, anxiety to everyone else.

1:53.5

But what I see in when I go out and report is that the Trump election was such a shattering statement for a lot of people about what this country is capable of.

...

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