NYT's David Brooks and Helene Cooper Concerned With 'White Guys' on GOP Presidential Ticket
Is the New York Times afraid of white men?
One certainly got that feeling watching Sunday's Meet the Press as guests David Brooks and Helene Cooper both expressed concerns about Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney potentially picking a "white guy" to be his running mate (video follows with transcript and commentary):
DAVID GREGORY, HOST: What does Mitt Romney need and what's he likely to do?
DAVID BROOKS, NEW YORK TIMES: Yeah, first I would say the conventional wisdom among Republican donors and Washington officialdom is that Marco Rubio isn't ready to be vice president...
GREGORY: Yeah.
BROOKS: ...emotionally. And so I think Rob Portman, senator from Ohio, he's--Ohio sort of matters, he might help. But basically the, the goal for a challenger in an, in an incumbent election is, are those guys decent enough?
GREGORY: Yeah.
BROOKS: Now a Romney/Portman race would be like a bunch of boring white guys. So it wouldn't be like scintillating, but it would be, oh, they're decent enough.
GREGORY: Helene, if you look--let's put up the screen where we have some of the potential contenders here to be running mates, Paul Ryan; Bob McDonnell, Virginia governor; Marco Rubio, we mentioned; and Senator Portman, we mentioned. Pick somebody else there, Helene, and just a pro and a con on, on Romney picking them.
HELENE COOPER, NEW YORK TIMES: Paul Ryan, not so much. I think he's--the view is that he's not quite ready for prime time yet. And his budget is too polarizing. I don't think--who are the other who were...
GREGORY: Bob McDonnell. Yeah, we talked about Rubio and Portman.
COOPER: Rubio not so much either because what--the biggest thing he could bring to the ticket is he could help Mitt Romney with Hispanics. But wasn't there a poll that came out last week that said he actually hurts in Florida? And then Bob--I'd, I'd say either Portman or McDonnell. McDonnell brings to the table the same sort of things that Portman does. You know, he would be seen as, seen as a little bit boring, but you know, Virginia putting--Virginia's another swing state and...
GREGORY: Right.
COOPER: ...there again you'd have these two white guys who look like, eh, not so bad.
GREGORY: Yeah, that's, that's an important point.
That's an important point? Why? In 2012, the idea of two "white guys" on a presidential ticket would be so distasteful?
On the other hand, imagine for a moment if Barack Obama in 2008 had considered a black running mate. What would have been the outrage if people on Fox News expressed similar views?
But the larger point is that no matter who Romney chooses, the Obama-loving media are going to find fault with him or her.
They went completely apoplectic in 2008 when McCain chose a woman. They clearly don't like Florida's Marco Rubio who's Hispanic.
Is there anyone Romney could tap regardless of ethnicity or gender that would meet with these folks' seal of approval?
Yes - that was a rhetorical question.
(H/T NB reader Clay Stringer)
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Comments
Is the NYT concerned that a
Submitted by ThisnThat on Sun, 04/22/2012 - 9:09pm.
Is the NYT concerned that a white male VP isn't as easy to beat up as a woman is -- because they sure enjoyed beating up Sarah Palin, didn't they? To this day, in fact.
__________
“Didn't win the Medal of Honor? Didn't even serve? Then lie about it. We'll support you." — 9th Circuit Court
No, It doesn't matter who he picks
Submitted by beanzilla on Sun, 04/22/2012 - 9:08pm.
The left will see his choice as one of two things:
A gimmick in order to win a subset of minorities, be they women, African-Americans, Hispanics, what have you.
or
Racism, because if he doesn't choose a minority partner then he must be a racist, sexist, or elitist.
Why how racist of the NYT!
Submitted by drsamherman on Sun, 04/22/2012 - 9:09pm.
Seems like our post-racial POTUS is now our re-racist POTUS as is reflected in the NYT.
Instead of Romney...
Submitted by BBallleaper on Sun, 04/22/2012 - 9:18pm.
I want a transexual, quadriplegic, mulatto, mixed-race Tibetan, homosexual, obese, heroin user with a sub-seventy IQ. If we don't have one on the ticket we're doomed!!!!!!! Doomed I tell you!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hell,
Submitted by killa37 on Sun, 04/22/2012 - 9:53pm.
Hell, Ball.....................Boy Baraka qualifies for about 75 % of those characteristics allready!!!! And you sure as hell got the 'doomed' part right!!!
'mulatto'
Submitted by Evoke on Mon, 04/23/2012 - 6:55am.
LOL My white liberal friends tell me that this term is offensive- even racist. Glad to have white liberal friends to 'take offense' for me, Lord knows, I cannot think for myself.
Cain and Palin
Submitted by pockets64 on Sun, 04/22/2012 - 9:22pm.
They so completely beat up Palin, Bachmann, Cain, Thomas, and every other non "white male" on the GOP side, I would wonder about any minority or woman who would take the job.
Pick Chris Rock
Submitted by Kevin Groenhagen on Sun, 04/22/2012 - 9:25pm.
He's not boring or white. Of course, he knows nothing about leading a nation. And shouldn't that really be the top priority, a president and VP who can get things done and fix the country's economic problems? Race, sex, and charisma needs to be a secondary of tertiary concern in 2012.
makes no difference
Submitted by oldfart on Sun, 04/22/2012 - 9:34pm.
no difference on gender
no difference on ethnic background
no difference on education
no difference on family wealth - or lack there of
The person will be a racist, sexist, homophobe who wants to return people of African ancestry to slavery, keep women barefoot and pregnant and teach their children horrible things like belief that there is something greater than themselves, to say please and thank you, respect for others different than them, self responsibility, limited government is best, a person’s word is their bond, and to judge people by what they do – not what they say.
Horrible, simply horrible.
The Democrat Party always has
Submitted by robert108 on Sun, 04/22/2012 - 9:45pm.
The Democrat Party always has been, and still is, the reservoir of racism in this country.
My view
Submitted by OffTheLows on Sun, 04/22/2012 - 9:51pm.
When you look at the potential runningmates for Romney, their pluses and minuses, I don't think there's anyone head and shoulders above Rubio. Because of that, whether it polls it can be effective with Hispanics or not, I think Romney should ask him first and make Marco say no... I think it pays longer term benefits, as did the choice with a woman in '08 (though I would've strongly preferred Kay Bailey Hutchison).
➚Those evil white Republicans
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Sun, 04/22/2012 - 9:52pm.
Like the evil Republicans who say white kids are smarter than black kids?
OOPS! That would be President Obama's "White Hand Man", Joe Biden.
can't win
Submitted by jimtrees on Sun, 04/22/2012 - 9:54pm.
with these clowns. if Romney picks a black guy, they will uncle tom him from day one.
Rubio (the 'white hispanic')
Submitted by killa37 on Sun, 04/22/2012 - 9:58pm.
Rubio (the 'white hispanic') isn't qualified 'emotionally' to be a VP???? Since when did that matter to these dopes??? Let's get our resident Doc Sam to give us an 'emotional assessment ' of both Boy Baraka and Joe Plugs Bite-Me!!! And, speaking of that, what was to stop Team Baraka from choosing on of the most abject and unmitigated morons in the anals of US political history and THEIR 'white' VP choice???
Do you think there's enough of Biden's brain
Submitted by Radical1979 on Sun, 04/22/2012 - 10:02pm.
for Doc Sam to examine?!
➚ But killa?
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Sun, 04/22/2012 - 10:07pm.
Rubio doesn't follow a teleprompter to say the things other people tell him to say.
He sounds too much like a human being who genuinely has his own thoughts.
I'd be scared too, if I were a Democrat.
Takes guts for the media to talk about a White GOP ticket
Submitted by OxyCon on Sun, 04/22/2012 - 10:02pm.
Takes guts for the media to talk about a White GOP ticket after they went on a slash and burn campaign to make sure that Herman Cain would not get the nomination.
think about it
Submitted by MidAmerica on Sun, 04/22/2012 - 10:24pm.
obama and Biden
obama has hardly spent a day in the office and Biden? (!)
you know that literally makes them
Tweedledee and Tweedledum
Progressives once again
Submitted by Pinetree3 on Sun, 04/22/2012 - 11:03pm.
Progressives once again proving how totally and completely anti-white racist they are. For them, EVERYTHING revolves around skin color. No way in hell could a non-progressive get away with saying something like that if obama throws biden under the bus and picks a black VP.
And I always thought. . .
Submitted by rickbren on Sun, 04/22/2012 - 11:25pm.
. . . Joe was a "white guy."
The liberal left (and NO,
Submitted by Slyrr on Sun, 04/22/2012 - 11:56pm.
The liberal left (and NO, Brooks is NOT a conservative or a Republican) is too concerned about diversity. In their minds, if they can just sprinkle enough minorities in among the 'crackers', then the world just automatically becomes perfect. That's 'equal opportunity' at its worst. when you're a liberal, you don't bother checking if the person you put behind the steering wheel knows how to drive or not. No, as long as his skin is any color but white, it's his 'turn' to drive, and who cares if he crashes and kills everyone else in the car?
What's that sound?
Submitted by CO2Maker on Mon, 04/23/2012 - 1:11am.
Jindal bells, Jindal bells, Jindal all the way ...
Not brown enough?
Haley's Comet? Nope? Sikh of her already?
Condoleezza Rice? Oh, right. She's not married, doesn't have kids, can't empathize with Nancy Pirogi's maternalism. (Or was that "Call me Senator" Boxer?)
Coconuts and Oreos. No presidential timber there.
yeah
Submitted by amyshulk on Mon, 04/23/2012 - 2:34am.
I just watched this and that just jumped out at me. Is this one of those dog whistles the left is always whining about?
Ronald Reagan
White Guys
Submitted by Jersey Girl on Mon, 04/23/2012 - 4:07am.
Books should quite the NYT and insist they re hire Jayson Blair. After all, it's only FAIR!!!!
WTF?
Submitted by CobraMan on Mon, 04/23/2012 - 8:14am.
WTF? Are these people doing a comedy skit here? They're worried about a white VP? You know, like Biden?
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
Joe Biden, gravitas man of foreign policy experience
Submitted by CO2Maker on Mon, 04/23/2012 - 8:46am.
and old-growth 'man of the people' from a working-class neighborhood in Pennsylvania.
Biden apparently worked on a fishing boat where he was skilled with the net and gaff and then later of film crews as best boy and gaffer. Then he ran for the Senate (and caught it).
All I know is....
Submitted by almostacowboy on Mon, 04/23/2012 - 11:55am.
I'm voting for the all white guy!