How often is the best candidate available ever hired for any post? Most often its the person that the hiring person is most comfortable with. Could be a brother in law, a college chum, etc.
The best candidate for a given position depends on the objectives that the hiring manager has for the position. There is no totally objective way to hire the "best" candidate for a position. You certainly dont do it based on tests or based on seniority. If you think hiring is or should be made based on hiring, then I suggest that you probably have little real world experience.
For clarity, I will stipulate the "theoretical" BEST candidate may not always be available. So, the hiring official(s) should hire the very best of those who do apply within the time limits available (assuming the candidate indeed is "qualified").
More specifically, with regard to filling the position of Chief of a large Metro-area police department, the goal should be to hire the candidate with the strongest law enforcement background, who has demonstrated the ability to lead police officers and manage the requisite administrative burden.
Satisfaction of the NAACP is not the PRIMARY factor in that equation, in my view.
You must understand, I am not criticizing Chief Moose specifically -- rather, in the context of this article, in a general sense, I am stating my opinion that affirmative action and racial quotas are descriminatory, and they are wrong. With respect to Chief Moose, as an area resident who is familiar with his brief record in Montgomery County, I certainly agree that he does appear to be qualified to do his job. But, I do not know the records of the other applicants over whom he was hired.
In fact, it may be that Chief Moose was the BEST qualified candidate available, and in that case, it was a correct decision to hire him. Nothing more, nothing less.
When I hire a physician or a lawyer, I'd prefer to hire one with the very best record of success. If the scores were available, I'd prefer to select one who achieved 100% on their board/bar exams instead of one who scraped by with a minimum score of 70 percent.
For example, Ben Carson is reputed to be one of the very best, if not THE BEST neurosurgeon in the world at the moment. If I needed brain surgery, I would go to him -- it matters little to me that he is black.
Nor should it matter to you. I am neither a racist, nor a bigot - and no matter how much you protest, or attack me, you cannot characterize me so. And, you will never convince there is any argument that justifies prejudice and descrimination, which when spelled backwards equals affirmative action.