| When politicians and pundits appeared on the Don Imus show (pre-"nappy-headed ho" days), it was always amusing to see which ones would kiss the I-Man's wrinkled backside with the most enthusiasm.
Joe Lieberman consistenly won that prize, and in return, Imus did everything in his power to help Lieberman get re-elected in 2006.
Other politicians appeared on the Imus show because they saw it as a way to promote themselves and their policy positions. Chris Dodd even announced his candidacy for president during one appearance.
But that was before the "nappy-headed ho" days -- and all the scrutiny that went with it. Now that Imus apparently will have a new show on ABC, the question is: Who will appear on it?
Begging to be first in line, it turns out, is Bob Kerrey, the right-leaning former Democratic Senator from Nebraska and current president of the New School in New York. In an opinion piece in Sunday's Daily News, Kerrey suggests that, as vile as Imus has been in the past, presidential candidates would be wise to appear on his show:
You can be sure the candidates for President will avoid him like the plague ... After all, who wants to be the first to sit down, chit chat and legitimize a man they once reviled as something close to a racist.
If that's the choice they make, they'll be making a big mistake. In fact, try as they might to denounce and avoid Imus, all the candidates would be well advised to throw caution to the wind and say yes to the inevitable interview requests.
The reasons for appearing on the show, Kerrey says, are:
1. "he will have a big and influential audience," and
2. It demonstrates "courage"
Democratic candidates already made a similar mistake when, goaded by groups like MoveOn.org to dissociate themselves from Fox News, they pulled the plug on a party debate to be aired on the network in September. They had a chance to reach millions of people - but they blinked, and they blew it. "If they keep away from the show all the way through next year, it could do real political damage, if not in votes lost, at least in courage points.
Boycotting Fake News was brilliant because it revealed Fake News for what it is: a right-wing publicity channel and not a news organization. So Kerrey misses the point about Fake News -- appearing on the show legitimizes it, as well as legitimizes all the vitriol it heaps on Democrats.
The same can be said for the Imus Show. Kerrey knows it too. Kerrey even says, "who wants to be the first to ... legitimize" Imus? Well, quite simply they shouldn't.
Don Imus is a bully and a self-promoter. His loyalties are to the people who suck up to him. Those who appear on the show, make donations to his "ranch," and praise his wit and inciteful comments are treated well. They get their candidacies endorsed or their books promoted.
Those who criticize Imus or refuse to appear on his show -- mostly as a result of his blatantly racist and sexist comments -- get skewered by Imus, day after day. It's Imus's own brand of extortion. Play nice or I'll do all in my power to destroy you.
Bob Kerrey has already decided to play nice -- to forgive Imus for calling Gwin Ifill a cleaning lady, to forgive the obscenities his show broadcast about black model Naomi Campbell, forgive the insult of Rutgers basketball team, and all the other insults.
Kerrey suggests that, with the Rutgers comment, Imus "simply made a mistake." But Kerry's wrong. It wasn't one mistake, and there was nothing "simple" about it. The comment was destructive and hurtful, just like many of Imus's other comments.
To appear on the Imus show is not to forgive a man for a "simple mistake". To appear on the Imus show is to empower a bigot and a bully.
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