2016 Sept 17^th

There are TV anchors and then there is JoyAnn Reid. Ms. Reid is unusual as a TV anchor: she is a Harvard graduate, her mother was Congolese and her father Guyanese and any interviewee should be prepared to defend any factual claims he or she makes. She anchors a weekend program on MSNBC.

This morning she was interviewing a Republican Congressman from Florida. The topic was Trump’s sudden declaration that President Obama was born in the United States and therefore might be the country’s legitimate president after all. The Congressman moved quickly to attack Hillary Clinton accusing her of beginning the birther movement herself. This narrative has been pushed by the Breitbart boys and is now the preferred talking point for those defending Trump’s dropping the birther bit.

The Congressman said something to the effect of “You know Hillary Clinton claimed Barack Obama wasn’t born in this country and she said that back in 2008, so she started it. ” Reid replied, “When did she say that? Tell me when?  You don’t get to make up your facts on this program.” Nobody talks over Joy Reid. If this politician is willing to come on her show again, which I doubt, he will have citations for any assertions he makes.

Jeffrey Lord is a prime example of a Trump TV surrogate. Mr. Lord is a usually cheerful, smiling, white haired TV guest employed when someone is needed to speak for Trump’s positions on most anything. Trump’s absurdities must be contagious for Lord has claimed that Democrats were responsible for Jim Crow and the rigid southern segregation. He does not mention that a Democratic President, Lyndon Johnson, was responsible for the civil rights act that changed all that and outraged southern Democrats so much that they all became Republicans.

This curious blindness to history was repeated in March 2016 when S. E. Cupp, a conservative columnist accused Trump of “dog whistle” comments designed to attract KKK members and other bigots. Lord claimed that the KKK, many years ago, had supported Democratic candidates and, therefore, was really a left wing organization.

Of course the first is true. After the Civil War and President Lincoln, a Republican, the entire south became Democratic until the civil rights act changed them into Republicans, That the KKK is a leftwing organization is nonsense and Jeffrey Lord knows it. Lord can say whatever silliness he cares to say and he’ll be invited back to say something similar again. If he stops being ridiculous he might stop getting invitations. He really has a great gig.