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.
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)
