The recent appearance of gubernatorial candidate Democrat Abigail Spanberger at the Virginia NAACP's annual convention set off a predictable online firestorm.
Given that her GOP opponent in the race, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, is a black woman, several right-leaning commentators took time to point out the obvious:
That line stings precisely because it captures the irony.
A group founded to advance black Americans now seems unabashed about backing a white Democrat over a black Republican woman? It's easy to see why some on the Right called it hypocritical. But scratch beneath the outrage, and the story might reveal something worth noticing.
Spanberger's public career has been defined by cautious calculation rather than conviction, with moments of moral hesitation that left even her allies wincing. Even her closest political allies cringed at her ethical glitch during a widely viewed debate, where she was given the perfect opportunity to take a stand on a matter of principle and simply wouldn't.
It was the kind of moment that reinforces everything people dislike about modern politics: moral mush, political fear, and the sense that everything is filtered through consultants and polls.
And yet, and stick with me here, that's what makes the NAACP's shameless flirtation with Spanberger oddly refreshing. A historically identity-driven organization is happily looking past identity to support the candidate it believes best represents its policy goals.
This is a bullet through the heart of DEI, is it not?
Still, the irony remains thick!
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