According to Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Tom Perez, voters are responsible for who lands on the stage. And it's voters' fault that the stage lacks any diversity.I wasn’t certain Baumann had correctly characterized his remarks, I didn’t think Perez would say that in so many words. Sadly, I have been unable to find online a transcript of the MSNBC remarks to which she makes reference.
However, Perez was also interviewed by NPR and that transcript depicts him tying himself in knots trying not to say what he so clearly implies. Namely, that you can blame Democrat voters for the lack of diversity onstage.
Baumann was correct in her characterization of what Perez obliquely admitted. Namely, the DNC set debate participation rules beforehand based largely on preference polling of Democrats, and the candidates who cleared the increasingly higher hurdles were white, not Hispanic or black or even Asian.
Surveyed Democrats (including many of color) prefer the white candidates. For example, Biden is most favored by African-Americans.
