Fox News guest on identity politics: 'Diversity is not a strength in politics'
On Wednesday’s Tucker Carlson Tonight, the host took issue with Stacey Abrams’s view on identity politics in a recent article she wrote for Foreign Affairs, where he says she pushed for things like “bitter division” and “revolts” between marginalized and dominant groups.
“This often works in the short term. It worked for Democrats in the Jim Crow South for about a hundred years, and that’s why they still do it. The problem is that these people, these dominant groups, as Stacey Abrams says, aren’t some foreign invader from a faraway land. They’re your countrymen,” Tucker Carlson said. “You’re not supposed to hate them or hurt them or revolt against them — ‘they’ is us. We’re in this together. We’re all Americans. That’s the most important thing — really, the only important thing. Stacey Abrams doesn’t see it that way, neither do the leaders of her party. They think they can win the next election by telling Americans they must hate their neighbors for the color of their skin.”
Carlson then turned to guest David Azerrad from the Heritage Foundation, who agreed with the host’s remarks when asked if he thinks Abrams’s way of looking at things has ever produced a stable nation.
“Diversity is not a strength in politics. A strength in politics is unity, if a you want to have a strong, united country, you want the citizens to be united,” Azerrad said. “Now we’ll have a free country. You don’t want everyone to be the same, you need to make an allowance for pluralism but it is not good to promote division.”
Some viewers on Twitter agreed with Azerrad and Carlson and thought it was an important conversation to be having.
Brilliant, coherent and concise analysis from David Azerrad.
— Chris Scibelli (@Scibellichris) February 7, 2019
David Azerrad and @TuckerCarlson in what might be the most important tv segment of the year. Watch it now: https://t.co/RwmQewNrx8
— David Reaboi (@davereaboi) February 7, 2019
Excellent analysis of where identity politics could eventually lead.
— Roger Smith (@Smitty59M) February 7, 2019
it’s nice to hear an adult conversation that is not afraid of reality. finally.
— Ya voy! (@Yavoy13) February 7, 2019
But other viewers felt like Azerrad and Carlson are out of touch with reality and way off base in their statements.
These two need to go back to grade school
— Alegna (@AngelaVargas12) February 7, 2019
It’s an absolute load of pure crap
The GOP are the party of identity politics
In that if you identify as white, straight, male, “Christian” and rich you are in
Dems are the party of inclusion that works for all Americans regardless of race, gender, religion or orientation.
K?
— JonWayneMcQuatchi (@dethspud) February 7, 2019
David Azerrad, kind of a moron?
— Fresh Brew (@TheFreshBrew) February 7, 2019
Azerrad went on to say that identity politics is strong on making you hate your country and despise your past.
“I’m fine with having hyphenated Americans, what bothers me is if you emphasize the part that becomes before the American part. I think you can recognize hyphenated Americans, but you emphasize the commonalities. The shared history, the shared devotion to republican principles, the love of country.”
Tucker Carlson Tonight airs weeknights at 8 p.m. on Fox News.
See what multiple Fox News hosts had to say about Stacey Abrams after her SOTU rebuttal:
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