Ann Coulter, Jewish People and the Real Question: Why Does NBC News Keep Giving This Loon a Platform?

I was almost amused seeing the Editor and Publisher story which quotes pundit Ann Coulter's awful comments about Jewish people on CNBC's The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch Monday. Coulter told Deutsch that America should be a Christian nation, Jews should convert and that Christians "just want Jews to be perfected, as they say."

Deutsch, who said he is Jewish, seemed flabbergasted by Coulter's comments (see for yourself here). Of course, he wouldn't have been so surprised if he had paid attention to comments from her years ago, in which she said of Muslims "We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity." She's also defended racial profiling in airport security (one blogger I read wondered if she also supported racially profiling white people who try to rent Ryder trucks); accused the widows of emergency workers killed in 9/11 of enjoying their husband's deaths and claimed liberals do not believe in God.

Deutsch tried to spin shilling for ratings Friday morning on the Today show, admitting his producers didn't want her on and claiming he was "trying to celebrate her business model." He then went on to say politicians or other people in the media should take on the issue of celebrities getting attention by acting badly. How about just ignoring her next book?

To be sure, part of this was that Coulter was clumsily slinging around the evangelical code language other right wingers use more subtly. Someone like Rush Limbaugh would have made the same point subtly enough that Deutsch couldn't have laid a glove on them. But sutble isn't exactly Coulter's stock in trade.

I'm past the point of shock at her words; Coulter earns her daily bread by saying  the shocking stuff most other pundits have the good sense to keep to Klan rallies and white supremacist chat rooms. What I'm still trying to figure out is why NBC gives her a platform. (And why Deutsch didn't get upset with Coulter -- who has been on his show before -- until she smacked him right in the face with some fundamentalist Christians' views on Jewish people as failed Christians)

The first time I heard of her latestest looney book, If Democrats Had any Brains, They'd Be Republicans, was when Meredith Vieira was interviewing her about it on the Today show. I can think of 1,000 authors who deserve the wide spotlight of Today more than the woman who called John Edwards a faggot, but there she was, spouting her nonsense to morning TV's largest audience.

There's a hint why Today and NBC News is so willing to give her attention in Howard Kurtz's new book, Reality Show, when the Washington Post media critic recounts an attempt by NBC anchor Brian Williams to call her to task for the 9/11 widows comments.

NBC's piece led with the question on everyone's lips back then: "Have you no shame?"

But Williams got a shock, according to Kurtz: "Williams was deluged with e-mail from angry conservatives...Williams had tried to make the case for civility in public debate, but in an age when anyone could unleash a torrent of shame with the click of a mouse, perhaps it had already vanished."

Here's my open letter to NBC News: STOP FEATURING THIS LOON. INTERVIEW SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY MAKES IMPORTANT POINTS ABOUT SERIOUS ISSUES.

My only comfort: If Coulter's view of religion is even partly right, she'll be spending most of eternity in an awfully warm place before long.

Comments

[Eric Deggans]

Yeah, that's something i've always found interesting about Coulter, Laura Ingraham and similar conservatives.

If they followed their own advice, they'd be married, at home, raising a family with a devount, conservative man...

[Dwalker]

She has the right to express her opinion. I think the question is why she keeps getting a platform because, from my perch, I don't see what actual job she holds.

Of course, when you're a leggy blonde, people will continue to give you attention. But by her conservative views, shouldn't she cut the cleavage, swoop her hair back into a bun and be somewhere making cookies while incubating baby #17 right now? I mean, the XTIAN revolution has to start somewhere, right?

[exclsior]

How can this be your career yet you seem to knownothing about how it really works? Why is Coulter given a forum? For the same reason she has a book deal - she gets eyeballs. When people stop paying attention, she'll stop getting invites. Your blog and letter make it more likely she'll be back on the air.

I am sure all 8 people tuned in to Donnie were offended.

[Jim]

Coulter is nothing but an extreme right-wing wacko. She's full of garbage and spews off disgusting remarks to get her 15 minutes of fame. The world is much better off without nutjobs like her.

[Ripclawe]

The Pope revived Latin Mass which irritated some members of the Jewish faith and reminded everyone of the universal primacy of the Roman Catholic Church. Forgive me if I am not going to get worked up because Coulter tried and failed miserably in explaining that line of thinking to get some pub.

[pat greene]

Guess what, just because Ann Coulter has freedom of expression does not mean that NBC has to give her a platform to spew her poison. A lot of people have views diametrically opposed to hers and NBC doesn't give THEM a forum.

Speech is a freedom; use of limited public airways is a privilege. Coulter is always free to write books, or blogs, or stand on the street corner on a soapbox.

It's criminal that the Fairness Doctrine was revoked. That would have helped keep nutcases like Coulter to a minimum.

[guess what]

guess what -- in america, we enjoy FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION! the Constitution protects us Americans. it doesn't matter how many people get their knickers in a bunch. they have to deal with it, because in this great country, everyone has freedoms, and they're going to be exercised. i'm offended, eric deggans, that you seem to imply that ann coulter shouldn't get a platform on which to state her viewpoints. that sentiment is very offensive to my values as an American. you should know that even though you disagree with someone, they STILL get the chance to say what they want to say, no matter how much you may disagree with it.

...then again i expect nothing less of the Times. sue carlton's column on the martin lee anderson case is more than enough for one day.

[mike]

Stop your whining, Eric. She's an often amusing pundit doing a shtick. I could fill your blog with outrageous quotes from liberals - not to mention overtly racist jokes told by black comedians - but it seems only conservatives manage to get your dander up. I get it. You're a liberal, and conservatives piss you off. There's nothing wrong with that, but spare us the silly indignation.

[Robin 'Roblimo' Miller]

As a lapsed Jew married to a black woman who was raised Catholic but who has never been to a Catholic church as an adult, I guess I am not going to spend eternity in Ms. Coulter's heaven.

I can handle that.

But on earth, in America, she pisses me off.

The woman is nothing but a sick opportunist, and should be treated as such.

[Eric Deggans]

True enough, it's hard to know how seriously to take pundits like her. But my entire career is based on the idea that even subtle media messages have an important impact.

So if that is true, how can you shrug off a bestselling writer who comes right out and says Jewish people are failed Christians? These are the voters Bush-style Republicans courted and mobilized to earn two terms in the White House.

So, as much as i'd like to dismiss it as unintentonal comedy, her work also has a real world impact which shouldn't be overlooked.

[LockBull]

Eric,

I was watching an old stand-up show from Kathy Griffin last night, she hit the nail on the head when she said "as a person, I'm appalled, but as a comedian, well, she's a goldmine!". She's nothing but comedy to me. Kathy had some great things to say about how she basically says what the neocons are afraid to say, and some other salacious things about her being their sex goddess....

[Eric Deggans]

It is my understanding that there are fundamentalist Christians who interpret parts of the New Testament as essentially saying that Jews broke their historic covenant with God by rejecting Jesus and helping the Romans kill him.

In their teachings, there is a new covenant established by God with Christians that involves, for example, Baptism and accepting Jesus as the son of God.

Since Jews don't practice these customs, they are not "perfected." But I may not totally understand the situation or may be describing it badly...

[The Carl]

True Christians don't follow the same hateful path Coulter wants to pave. She's about as much a Christian as Adolf H. When did Jesus ever tell anyone he was the FedEx route to heaven, or where's it written in the Bible that Jews are evil liberals? Anyone who can cite chapter and verse, get back to me.

[Robert P. Jones]

Ann Coulter is a sick person, who should not be given a national platform to spout her hateful, nation-dividing views. She is worse than the guy who called the Rutgers ladies basketball team "nappy headed ho's." She certainly is entitled freedom of speech and thought, but should she be given a platform to spout her personal hatred without having someone from the opposite point of view? For a TV station or newspaper to give us only her views, borders on propoganda.