As you’ve probably seen, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus is calling on MSNBC President Phil Griffin to apologize for an offensive tweet MSNBC sent out the other day.
MSNBC’s tweet (which implied that conservatives don’t like biracial families) provided zero evidence to back up the assertion (actually, the evidence consisted of YouTube comments) — and was ironic — inasmuch as it came on the heels of Melissa Harris-Perry’s having to apologize after guests mocked Mitt Romney’s black grandson.
MSNBC apologized and deleted the tweet, saying that it didn’t comport with their beliefs. The problem, of course, is that it feels more like a classic Washington gaffe — a Freudian slip whereby one accidentally reveals their true thoughts.
Based on that, you might expect me to be cheering Reince Preibus on. But you’d be wrong.
Here’s the problem. First, MSNBC’s offensive Tweet didn’t target Republicans, but “the rightwing.” Second, by inserting himself (and the RNC) into the discussion, Priebus risks changing the narrative, which was skewing decidedly against MSNBC.
Creative efforts were already being deployed to draw attention to the tweet. Conservative commentator Michelle Malkin, for example, had been promoting a brilliant hashtag #MyRightWingBiRacialFamily for conservatives to post pictures of their biracial families.
This kind of organic, guerilla campaign is far more effective than a top-down effort. It is far better, I think, for conservative Americans with biracial families to be the face of the opposition than for Reince Preibus and the RNC to be.
But Priebus decided to insert himself into this, and in so doing, has cast himself and the RNC as the adversary. That’s a win for MSNBC, as far as I’m concerned.
It’s much easier to cast the RNC as a villain than to demonize children and families.
Another thing I don’t like about this is the fact that it involves boycotting the network and demanding an apology — two tools straight out of the liberal playbook. And since MSNBC has already apologized, Priebus is now demanding the president of the network personally apologize?
That’s a pretty humiliating demand. Where does it stop? How many insincere apologies are enough??