Meghan McCain's Recent Comments On Diversity Have People Seeing Red
The View co-host Meghan McCain is at it yet again with her controversial takes on what's happening in today's society, and to say people are angry and upset about her latest comments about diversity and identity politics may be an understatement. After Senator Tammy Duckworth's comment to reporters on March 23 about wanting more Asian-Americans in Joe Biden's cabinet and the fact that she refuses to support the President's non-diverse nominees until that happens (via CBS News), McCain put in her own two cents about the matter on the March 24 episode of the show.
"I believe that what makes America exceptional is the fact that we're a meritocracy that you can be anything — that you can come from anywhere and go and have success in any capacity," McCain started (via USA Today). "And I think the question Democrats have to reconcile with right now is whether or not, race and gender are more important than qualification."
"I think this is actually just the natural progression of identity politics, and I will say just to put a cap on this: The View is 25 years old next year, we've only had one Asian American host co-host the show," she continued. "So does that mean that one of us should be leaving at some point because there's not enough representation? We're talking about is identity politics more important than qualifications of a job, and I think that's a question going forward that the progressive left is going to have to reconcile."
Her comments did not sit well with a large majority of people — especially one of the women who coined the term more than four decades ago
If you're unfamiliar with the term "identity politics," it's defined as "political activity or movements based on or catering to the cultural, ethnic, gender, racial, religious, or social interests that characterize a group identity."
Barbara Smith, one of the three Black women who coined the term in the '70s, weighed in on McCain's take on identity politics, writing, "I am 1 of 3 Black women who coined the term #IdentityPolitics in the #CombaheeRiverCollective Statement, 1977. @MeghanMcCain does not know what she's talking about. What we meant was that Black women have the right to determine our own political agendas, period, full stop," adding in a second tweet, "People of all political stripes have distorted #IdentityPolitics ever since. And why does Meghan assume that people of color and women who are not white are by definition less qualified? This is classic #WhiteSupremacy."
Social media users wasted no time dragging Meghan McCain through the mud for her comments
Twitter users had a field day with McCain's comments, with many pointing out the fact that it's her own identity as the late John McCain's daughter that landed her her hosting gig on The View. "White woman who got her job because of who her daddy was now has concerns about the 'qualifications' of non-white people seeking the same job ok sure Jan," one Twitter user cheekily commented, while another innocently asked, "What are the qualifications for being a host of the View? Asides from being the daughter of a [sic] war criminals and consistently having the dumbest opinions in America."
More social media users weighed in on McCain's hot take on identity politics, with one Twitter user writing, "Does anyone doubt there is an Asian woman that has more qualifications than Meghan? Her career was built on her incessantly reminding of us of her father. You know, identity politics," and another saying, "Identity /is/ a qualification. Meghan's the freaking proof."