The root of all evils, as you commented: "People don’t want to learn JavaScript".
However, I think it's because DOM/BOM API sucks. JavaScript, namely the language itself, doesn't even specify any event driven or asynchronous things. Not to mention why NodeList horribly isn't an array, or the need to write the long and annoying 'getElementsByClassName' rather than a simple $( ).
(Yes I know things like 'querySelectorAll' are much better, but it's too late for most of prejudices)
someone at Google or Mozilla should already have been writing an API that's similar to jQuery that just "compiles down" to the DOM methods so that the loading of jquery isn't necessary. I'm surprised no one's pushed for using jQuery's API as an additional DOM API. Old browsers you load jquery, new browsers you don't and your code doesn't change. It would cut down on a few seconds of load time for sure and it'd be better than using a CDN.
However, I think it's because DOM/BOM API sucks. JavaScript, namely the language itself, doesn't even specify any event driven or asynchronous things. Not to mention why NodeList horribly isn't an array, or the need to write the long and annoying 'getElementsByClassName' rather than a simple $( ).
(Yes I know things like 'querySelectorAll' are much better, but it's too late for most of prejudices)