BRZEZINSKI OFFERS FAKE AMERICANS A LESSON ON ‘REAL’ AMERICA…. Back in October, the McCain/Palin campaign caused a stir when it started drawing up dividing lines among Americans, based on their perceptions. Sarah Palin, for example, referred to smaller areas as “the real America,” apparently not to be confused with the “fake” America.
I’d thought, at the time, that the political world learned a lesson. Arbitrary, romanticized notions of who does and doesn’t qualify as “real” in the United States is a fool’s errand. We’re all Americans, regardless of our personal characteristics or the size of our hometown, and drawing up dividing lines is more than a little insulting — especially to those of us who may not meet the conservative standards for “real.”
It’s a real shame MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski, who seems to be moving further and further to the right with each passing week, didn’t learn the appropriate lessons from last fall. This morning, in an incoherent defense of Sarah Palin, Brzezinski said people attended Palin rallies during the campaign because “they agree with her.” (Brilliant analysis. People attend rallies for politicians they like? Remarkable!)
Brzezinski added, “Look at the polls out there. Look at where people stand on life. Look what real Americans think…. In the cities where there are a little more liberal elite populations, you’re not going to find what’s representative of America.”
Asked who the “real” Americans are, Brzezinski, perhaps unaware what the question meant, said, “I think [Palin’s] views actually do.” I don’t know what this means. Perhaps I’m not “real” enough.
Brzezinski went on to complain that some in the “mainstream media” don’t agree with Palin, but “real” Americans do. She said, more than once, “Look at the polls.”
This is just sad. Four out of five Americans live in urban areas (for the record, I’m not one of them). Most Americans do not want to see Roe overturned. Indeed, most Americans reject Palin’s worldview on most social, economic, foreign, or constitutional issues. Most Americans voted for and continue to support President Obama. I know this because I took Brzezinski’s advice and I “looked at the polls.”
It is the height of arrogance for a television personality to lecture her viewers on who qualifies as “real” and who doesn’t. Even for “Morning Joe,” this was a ridiculous and offensive display.
