The Mail and Mr Beck

The Daily Mail’s legendarily foul mouthed editor, Paul Dacre, has gone on record stating that his paper is not racist. He’s convinced himself of that, but others are not so easily taken in: this week, in a routine and well presented skewering, the Tabloid Watch blog has shown that on the Mail’s website, supposedly moderated comment on stories is all too often littered with race hate.

So Paul Dacre can maintain that his paper is not racist, while letting in a little hatred in a sort of non attributable way. Keeps the staff nice and clean. After all, we don’t do that sort of thing in the UK, do we? Additionally, the broadcast media isn’t even able to be partisan – by law.

But over in the USA, they play by different rules, and what the Daily Mail has to keep at arms’ length gets unconditionally embraced by broadcasters such as Rupe’s Fox News Channel (fair and balanced my arse), and especially by the less savoury of its commentators, like Glenn Beck.

As I observed a while ago, there was a case of “reverse accusation of racism” over the nomination of Susan Sotomayor for the Supreme Court: commentators like the deeply unpleasant Rush Limbaugh had used this smear against her. Now it’s becoming clear that this was not an isolated example, but a new tool in the right’s box of nastier tricks: Beck has now accused the Prez himself of being racist, and having “a deep seated hatred for white people”.

Let’s think that one through: Barack Obama, whose mother was white, hates white people? It’s an assertion that does not stand serious analysis. Beck can’t stand up his assertion – it’s just gratuitous abuse. And 33 advertisers who buy time on Fox News Channel have also found adversely upon Beck’s rant: they have directed that their ads not air on the Beck show.

But at least Young Dave and his chaps, although having a nominal relationship with the Republicans, can keep out of this one, can’t they? Ah well. When Dan, Dan the Oratory Man went on Fox News to unconditionally denounce the NHS, he favoured two of its “hosts” with his presence. One was Sean Hannity, and the other? Step forward Glenn Beck. Hannan, as ever, shoots his mouth off with some style, but displays routinely abysmal judgment.

A future Prime Minister Cameron wouldn’t want anything to get in the way of a cordial and productive relationship with the Prez. Would he?