Halperin and Williams: Tale of a Media Lynching

Politico Fires Joe Williams for Romney Comments, But Time Magazine’s Editor-at-Large Got a Slap on the Wrist for Calling  President Obama a “Dick”

Okay, for the last time, I’m going to try and make sense of this. Back in 2011, Mark Halperin appeared on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and called President Barack Obama a “dick”. During the broadcast, Halperin explained that his comment was based on the way President Obama acted during a press conference.

To his credit, Halperin issued a public apology. MSNBC took immediate action and suspended Halperin indefinitely, but he returned to the network as a political analyst several weeks later, and Time Magazine never indicated, even in the slightest way, that its editor-at-large was going to be punished or kicked to the curb.

  

Now, we jump to the present. Joe Williams, a reporter working for Politico, took part in a discussion about Mitt Romney with MSNBC’s Martin Bashir. During the exchange, which centered on Romney’s difficulty in gaining Hispanic voter support, Williams stated that Romney feels more “comfortable” around people like him. Williams went on to note that “there are white people that are very much relaxed in their own company.” He did not make any disparaging or derogatory comments toward the Republican presidential candidate. I’ll say it again. He did not make any disparaging or derogatory comments toward the Republican presidential candidate.

Politico quickly responded by giving Williams the boot, claiming his comments were racial in nature. To his credit, like Halperin, Williams indicated that his remarks were inappropriate for a journalist. Nonetheless, Williams continues to serve as the whipping boy for various media outlets, Romney supporters and blood-thirsty conservatives, while Halperin continues to flourish in print and broadcast media. If you clowns want to whip on someone, back off on Williams and come whip on me! Bring it!

If Halperin has an ounce of integrity, as a journalist and a man, he will appear on the very show that temporarily ousted him a year ago and defend Williams by firmly stating that what he said about the President was far worse than what Williams said about a man who hasn’t even been officially anointed by the Republican Party. Romney and his advisers should man up and admit it, too. Doing so could alter politics as we know it and slowly bridge the racial divide in this country.

  

To the publishers and executives at Politico and Time Magazine, I say thank you. Thank you for proving, especially to youth of color in America, which you could probably give less than a damn about, that a white man can refer to the Commander-in-Chief as “sort of a dick” on national television and be forgiven, but a Black man saying Mitt Romney tends to be more comfortable around people like him is completely unacceptable…..and a price will be paid.

The commentary is from the heart and…..from The G-Man.