"White" Is Not An Insult

Ana Navarro and Brad Palumbo had a spirited argument on CNN's "NewsNight' on July 14. The clip as presented on Brad Palumbo's podcast, in which the pertinent clip begins at 1:54, is immediately below. On her podcast, Megyn Kelly vigorously attacked Navarro and defended Palumbo in a podcast which appears to show an edited- and slightly misleading- version of the argument.

   

Navarro (AN): Millions of people out there protesting in small cities and big cities, small protests and huge protests, defying, uh, the fear, defying the reign of terror.

Palumbo (BP): You're definitely being hyperbolic. You talk about a reign of terror when the doomsday alarm from Democrats or from media critics is always at a 10. It doesn't hit the same.

AN: Honestly, also I want to respond to you saying that I was hyperbolic when I talked about a reign of terror.

BP: That is hyperbolic.

AN: No, it's- it might be hyperbolic for you as a white man.

BP: Oh, O.K.

AN: It's certainly not hyperbolic for me as a Latino. No, I'm not being racist.

BP: Incredible to dismiss my opinion for being a white man.

AN: No, I'm not dismissing your opinion. I am tell you that- what the Latino community in America-

(crosstalk)

AN: O.K., let me speak with my voice. And you said I was being hyperbolic. 

(crosstalk)

AN: Let me respond- I'm not.

(crosstalk)

AN: Being a white man is an insult?

BP: When you invoke it to dismiss my opinion-

AN: Being a white man is an insult? Do you think Latinos are living under circumstances that other people may not be right now?

In the Megyn Kelly podcast with guest Rich Lowry, Kelly remarks (beginning at 1:12)

Unbelievable. Unbelievable. It was said and then Abby Phillip allowed it and defended it. Derelict in her duty as the anchor, first of all, and he was 100% right to call her out.

As shown in the Palumbo video (way above), Phillip ended the segment with

We're about to have a whole conversation about that very thing. But I just want to make a point that Brad, all she's saying is that her view of the situation is different yours. I don't think that's an insult. She basically said "I see it differently from you," which is not an insult. It's not.

That was nearly perfect. Unfortunately, Phillip added "also, it's not a racial explanation." 

It was a racial explanation. However, a racial explanation is not necessarily racist, and it was not in the case of Navarro's remarks. All racism is racial- but not everything racial is racist.

Navarro was merely explaining that the Latino community in the USA sees the immigration issue differently than do most white men (actually, most whites of either sex/gender) and thus has a different opinion on the issue. Their perspective is different. She did not suggest that Palumbo as a white man is not entitled to his opinion or even that his view is necessarily wrong. Unavoidably, the Latino community is going to see it through a different lens, either more or less accurately.

Kelly was incensed at Phillip for condoning Navarro's remark(s) and contended (2:05)  "I mean, how dare she allow that to happen on her set? And how dare they keep booking Ana Navarro, whose bread and butter is comments like this?"

In general, but especially when discussing immigration, the individual(s) responsible for booking decisions appreciates getting the perspective of a Latino, especially one such as Navarro, who already had a national following because she is a co-host of The View. She is a compelling figure, and the days of television as a strictly "cool" medium are long gone. (See Trump, Donald; also, Sanders, Bernie.) 

Nonetheless, this was the fun part  At 1:59, Miss anti-identity politics Kelly maintained

I don't know if it matters but Brad also happens to be gay. So he checks the minority boxes. Abby Phillip should be interested in defending him to the extent that it was necessary, though he was raising exactly the right point.

Let's clear it up for Kelly, It most certainly does not matter that Palumbo is gay. Phillip should be no more (nor less) interested in defending any of her guests because he or she is gay. Were the discussion about gay rights or the LGBTQQIA community, Palumbo's perspective as a gay man would be relevant. However, he never suggested that his view of the Trump Administration's immigration policy is informed in any way by his sexuality, and it is unclear why or how it would. And gay people need no more (nor less) defending from a news host than does a straight person.

It turns out that "checking the minority boxes" is more important for the right-wing Megyn Kelly- when that "minority" is a conservative- than it is for most people on the left. Perhaps it's unsurprising for a pundit who asserts that Jesus, a first-century Palestinian, and Santa Claus, a mythical figure, were white.

That's ignoring reality, which was at the heart of this clash. Ignoring race is not proof of objectivity and raising its issue is no evidence of racism. It can, as it was in this case, merely a recognition of reality.

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