Cory Booker is upset:

And it’s a damn shame now that the only African-American woman in this race . . . is now no longer in it, and we’re spiraling towards a debate stage . . . that could have six people with no diversity whatsoever.

That’s what happens when you enforce purportedly neutral standards such as “popularity” and “fund-raising,” which only serve to entrench the established power structure. If the Democrats care about social justice, they will level the playing field with affirmative action by setting aside half the debate slots for women and a quarter for people of color, regardless of their polling and donation numbers. Otherwise they’re just using so-called “meritocracy” as another tool of oppression.