Every vice presidential candidate is a DEI pick

By Lydia Polgreen / The New York Times

Over the weekend I wrote about the way diversity, equity and inclusion have redounded to the benefit of J.D. Vance, saying he as much as anyone could be called a DEI candidate, even though the term, intended as a negative, has only been applied to Kamala Harris, who is Black.

Several readers wrote in to quibble with my argument by saying that Harris, unlike Vance, was explicitly chosen as vice president because of her race and gender, and therefore she was quite literally a DEI candidate.

I did not include this in my column because to me it seemed too obvious, but given how many people have made this point it is worth saying: On a two-person presidential ticket, the running mate is always a diversity pick. Modern running mates are chosen to balance a ticket, and identity is a huge part of that balance.

John F. Kennedy (reluctantly) chose Lyndon B. Johnson as a way to shore up his weaknesses in the South. Ronald Reagan chose a patrician scion of the Northeastern elite to balance out his Western image. Barack Obama chose Joe Biden at least in part for his age and experience. Donald Trump chose Mike Pence for his appeal to religious conservatives. Each brought needed diversity to the ticket, and each had strengths and weaknesses.

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