McCarthy Takes Down His Own Party While Praising Democrats In Viral Video
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) recently made candid remarks about the Republican Party's previous lack of diversity during an interview at the New York Times's DealBook event.
McCarthy, who led the Republican conference from 2019 until a few months ago, reflected on a turning point that occurred during the 2019 State of the Union address.
McCarthy recalled looking at the Democrats in attendance, who he said "looked like America" as they stood up, while Republicans "looked like the most restrictive country club in America."
This moment prompted McCarthy to recognize the need for change within the party. He realized that if the party wanted to appeal to a broader electorate, it had to diversify its candidates and support more women and non-White individuals in Republican primaries.
This admission from McCarthy is unexpected but significant. While it's not uncommon for Democrats to highlight their party's diversity or criticize Republicans for lacking inclusivity, it's rare for a former leader of the House Republican Party to acknowledge it. The Republican Party has faced challenges in attracting non-White voters and women, and efforts to expand its appeal have been inconsistent.
Trump's performance with non-White voters in the 2020 election and the continuation of that trend in 2022 have sparked optimism among some on the right, echoing McCarthy's sentiments. However, a closer look at House demographics reveals that there is still much work to be done to change the visual impression that struck McCarthy in 2019.
The composition of the Republican conference in the House is less representative of the country compared to Republicans more generally.
Analysis of the 2022 General Social Survey (GSS), a national poll on social issues, shows that the gender split among Republicans aligns more closely with the overall divide than it does within the House. About 90% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents in the GSS were White, similar to the GOP caucus. Democrats and leaning independents exhibit greater diversity, closer to the overall diversity of the country.
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It is crucial to note that when discussing the concept of "looking like America," the focus is on adult America. Younger Americans are less likely to be White compared to older Americans, which remains consistent across age groups.
Even within the ranks of Republicans and Republican-leaning individuals, youth correlates with greater racial diversity. Among Republicans and leaners over the age of 65 in the GSS, 96% were White, while among those under 40, only 85% were White.
For Republicans, the question of how America's increasing diversity would impact the party's electoral prospects has been a key concern since at least 2012, if not earlier. Although McCarthy's realization in 2019 underscores the importance of addressing this issue, the question of how to navigate and embrace America's diversity remains unanswered.