Friday’s edition of CNN Tonight was experiencing a rare moment of appreciation that the left’s DEI initiatives have gone too far when Los Angeles Times columnist LZ Granderson ruined it by claiming that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis does not mind using “a dog whistle.”
The topic of conversation was Culver City, California, ditching its honors classes in the name of equity and while the panel agreed that steps should be taken to get more black and Latino students into such classes, eliminating them was the wrong solution. Host Alisyn Camerota also wondered about another angle, “LZ, is this about race or is it about socioeconomic status? Because also there are -- we have a graph that we can pull up -- in terms of honor students, the wealthiest kid, the richest kids, are in honors classes three times more than what the kids in the lower classes are, socioeconomically?”
Granderson did manage to momentarily stay on topic, “Well, I mean, it's almost impossible to separate the two …. in this country, right? I mean, it's just a byproduct of when this country was founded and where we are today. It's hard to have a socioeconomic conversation and not have it be tied to race.”
However, he then went on an unrelated diatribe against DeSantis, “I think it's complete trash to get rid of the AP courses, in part, because students who graduate with AP courses are able to transfer them and be able to use them to help graduate college. That's a money saving measure as well. So, it isn't just the achievement in high school, it's about saving pennies on the other side.”
Not only are honors and AP classes different things, Florida had a problem with a specific AP class, not AP classes as a concept.
Recalling DeSantis’s 2018 campaign against Andrew Gillum, Granderson further claimed, “when it comes to DeSantis, the founding member of the, what, Freedom Caucus, the person who after the primary said, let's not monkey up the budget’s Florida in regards to his candidate, his opponent, who happens to be black.”
DeSantis was obviously using “monkey” in the way most people use it, as a synonym for “tamper” or “mess around with.” Only a blind partisan would think such a statement was racist.
Still, Granderson claimed it all is just a way for DeSantis to communicate with his racist audience, “I think it when it comes to DeSantis specifically, he does not mind using these opportunities to blow a -- to blow a dog whistle, but I think holistically in terms of our conversation as a whole, it's about resources, and I hate the fact that kids who could be using this as a leg up for college are getting this taken away from them.”
Nobody corrected Granderson on his smears and misrepresentations, but Camerota did manage to get the conversation back on Culver City.
This segment was sponsored by Expedia.
Here is a transcript for the February 17 show:
CNN Tonight
2/17/2023
10:31 PM ET
ALISYN CAMEROTA: LZ, is this about race or is it about socioeconomic status? Because also there are -- we have a graph that we can pull up -- in terms of honor students, the wealthiest kid, the richest kids, are in honors classes three times more than what the kids in the lower classes are, socioeconomically?
LZ GRANDERSON: Well, I mean, it's almost impossible to separate the two –
CAMEROTA: Can't separate it.
GRANDERSON: -- yeah -- in this country, right? I mean, it's just a byproduct of when this country was founded and where we are today. It's hard to have a socioeconomic conversation and not have it be tied to race. I think it's complete trash to get rid of the AP courses, in part, because students who graduate with AP courses are able to transfer them and be able to use them to help graduate college. That's a money saving measure as well. So, it isn't just the achievement in high school, it's about saving pennies on the other side.
I mean, if you are going to get an associate’s degree, taking AP courses can get you like almost a fourth of the way they're depending on what time you start. So, I am more concerned about how does this impact students financially on the opposite end that you get rid of the AP courses.
And with your race question is concerned, listen, especially when it comes to DeSantis, the founding member of the, what, Freedom Caucus, the person who after the primary said, let's not monkey up the budget’s Florida in regards to his candidate, his opponent, who happens to be black.
I think it when it comes to DeSantis specifically, he does not mind using these opportunities to blow a -- to blow a dog whistle, but I think holistically in terms of our conversation as a whole, it's about resources, and I hate the fact that kids who could be using this as a leg up for college are getting this taken away from them.
