Mr. Blow and the ‘Minstrel Show’

by Larry O’Connor at Big Journalism:

Over the weekend we highlighted Charles Blow’s column in the New York Times about his infiltration of the Grand Prairie, Tex., Tea Party.  We questioned why he even bothered attending the event considering that he never interviewed anyone there and seemed to have reached his conclusions about the Tea Party after reading his own paper’s poll on them.

This morning, Laura Ingraham picked up where we left off and grilled Mr. Blow on her nationally syndicated radio program.  One of the reasons we love Laura is that she rarely lets guests get away with obfuscation or ducking a direct question.  This exchange is particularly enlightening:

Laura:  What was the worst display of overt racism that you witnessed.

Charles:  I didn’t say I had witnessed any overt…

Laura:  You called it a minstrel show, Charles.  Those are kind of loaded terms, don’t you think?

Charles:  Did I say that I had witnessed any overt racism…

Laura:  What’s a minstrel show?

Read the rest here: