WEBVTT

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- Listen!

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White folks who are desperately

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afraid of losing political power

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continue to weaponize "identity politics."

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And this behavior needs to be called out.

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Recently, talk show host Bill Maher

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garnered backlash when he accused

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the Democratic party

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of being obsessed with diversity

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over merit in an episode

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of Real Time With Bill Maher.

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- The Democratic Party is very big on

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checking boxes.

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And it's very hard to imagine

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any ticket now,

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on the Democratic side,

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that would have just
two straight White men.

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Is it more of a priority
than things like merit?

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That should matter more.

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Is it more of a priority
than facts or science?

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- When naming off possible

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2024 presidential candidates,

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he said they must fill

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some type of diversity quota.

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"I don't care if it's two White men

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"or two fucking purple people!

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"I'm just saying the Democratic Party,

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"where they are with identity politics,

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"they will never have
two straight White guys.

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"And maybe they shouldn't.

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"I'm just saying that's a fact.

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"That just can't be.

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"So you got to check one of the boxes."

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He also said that merit is more important

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than having people of color

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in any type of political office,

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as if though those two things

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are mutually exclusive.

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This trope has always been racist,

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and sadly it isn't going

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anywhere anytime soon.

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It certainly played a part

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in the 2022 midterms

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where the majority of White women

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and White men voted Republican.

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We also see this reasoning

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in the attack on affirmative action.

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The Supreme Court

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will decide next year

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if race will continue to play a factor

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during the college admissions process.

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The two cases brought to court's attention

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challenge the policies at Harvard

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and the University of North Carolina.

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Both are spearheaded

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by a conservative activist

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named Edward Blum,

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who believes that affirmative action

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"cannot be the path forward

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"for reconciliation of past
bigotry and discrimination."

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Does he not realize

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that bigotry is still happening in 2022?

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Does he not know that Black people

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are still discriminated against

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in record numbers?

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We are more likely

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to attend segregated schools

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as well as experience job

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and housing discrimination

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than our White peers.

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To say that "identity politics"

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is the sole reason for people of color

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being rewarded overlooks

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the fact that Whiteness in itself

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is an identity

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and as we know, White folks,

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straight White men in particular,

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are rewarded heir astounding

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incompetence for centuries.

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What do you think about White folks

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doubling down on identity politics?

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