Interesting article in the Wall Street Journal today about how even the supporters of affirmative action don’t think much of the “diversity” rationale (a point that has been made on NRO, too. The diversity argument is described by them as “‘a Johnny-come-lately afterthought,’” “‘offensive to students of color,’” and “suffer[ing] from flawed analysis and weak social-science research.” Even Professor Patricia Gurin—who did the social-science survey on which the University of Michigan (in the cases now pending before the Supreme Court) relied for the proposition that diversity improves educational outcomes—is cited in the article as sounding lukewarm about the rationale. Yet, to justify racial discrimination, the law is that an argument must be not only plausible but “compelling”!