Elected officials and candidates should “look like” the districts they hope to represent. So, for example, Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg’s seat, which is chock full of white people, should only have a white state Senator, right?
That’s racist! Yeah, pretty much.
But, that’s the basic argument a new PAC is making about elected officials. The “Could You Not” PAC is trying to discourage straight, white men from running for office in what it calls “diverse” districts. We’re looking at you, Andrew Romanoff. Wait….
The gist is that white men are shoving out minority candidates who would otherwise thrive in such diverse districts. From a Colorado Public Radio article on this absurdity:
“‘Dude, can you not?’
“It’s a question embedded in the name of the organization. The Can You Not PAC plans to discourage straight white men from running for office in Colorado’s diverse districts. The hope is that will clear the lane from female, minority and LGBTQ candidates….
“…It’s the counterbalance to the classic intervention where people ask, ‘Have you thought about ever running for office?’, ” says Huelsman. “We want to ask, ‘Have you ever thought about not running for office?'”
Look, it appears that these super-white bro founders are well-meaning, but even we couldn’t make this ridiculousness up even after an entire night of drinking. It is just as dumb to say that a black guy can’t represent white people as it is to say that white guys can’t – or shouldn’t – represent people of color or women.
Something about content of character, not color of skin….. Amirite?