Stereotyping by the So-Called Liberal Media
Which reminds us: have you heard the one about the political party that engaged in oodles of post-election bellyaching about values voters, rural voters, and the potential electoral power of evangelical Christians, and then decides to tap two big-city Jewish guys to head up its efforts to win back control of the House and the Senate?
It’s pretty funny.
But don’t underestimate how aggressive and smart these guys are. And, as Pat Buchanan might say, they both know a lot of New York bankers.
Do you think these observations are from a neo-Nazi publication? A Christian fundamentalist Web site?
They are from neither. The comments were in the January 4, 2005 edition of The Note, a widely-read online digest of political news published daily by ABC News’ political unit. The authors were Mark Halperin, who heads the political unit, Lisa Todorovich and Marc Ambinder. One of them might even be Jewish, which doesn’t make me feel any better.
The Note has long irritated me for its adolescent sarcasm and Republican leanings (even if ABC isn’t a card-carrying member of the “liberal media,” theoretically it still strives to be “fair and balanced”). This time The Note’s “commentary” isn’t merely irritating. It’s sickening and stupid at the same time. Stupid because it assumes that a “big city Jew” couldn’t possibly comprehend rural voters’ concerns about “moral values.” Or that a “big city Jew” would not work with his or her colleagues from “red” states in wrestling with those issues. The comments are sickening because they reflect two of the most persistently egregious stereotypes of Jews: that we’re “aggressive” and money-grubbing “bankers.”