Call Ayman Mohyeldin "the Duke Ellington Reporter" in homage to the jazz great's "Don't Get Around Much Anymore." Or perhaps you could say that Mohyeldin had his Pauline Kael moment, after the New York Times movie critic who, as legend has it, averred she couldn't understand how Nixon won since she didn't know anyone who voted for him.
Isn't a reporter supposed to, you know, get around and speak with people with a range of views? Not Ayman. On this evening's Hardball, Mohyeldin said that "every single person I've spoke to" said [Trump's Muslim immigration plan] would be "disastrous." But just a bit earlier in the show, Michael Steele cited a poll showing that 56% of Americans believe that Islam is incompatible with American values. Mohyeldin apparently didn't have a chance to chat with any of the majority of Americans. Not surprising, coming from the man who called American Sniper Chris Kyle a "racist" who went on "killing sprees."
MICHAEL STEELE: Just so you understand the space that Donald Trump is occupying, why he's occuping it so successfully. In our own poll that was talked about just a couple of hours ago on this network by our own Steve Kornacki, Chris, to the question: is Islam compatible with the values of America: a national poll, Democrat, Republican, black, white, conservative, liberal. Individuals in this country. Do you know what the number was? 56% of the American people agree with that statement, that Islam is not compatible with the values of America.
. . .
AYMAN MOHYELDIN: The notion that you're going to round up Muslims, so to speak, and expel them, and not allow them into this country, it is extremely alarming, not just on a humanitarian basis, not just on our value basis as Americans, but I think also from national security, homeland security. Every single person I have spoke to today has said this would be a disastrous idea.
