Brian Williams just quoted to Mitt Romney a poll that shows 44 percent of Americans think a Mormon would have a hard time uniting the country. He then asked Romney why he felt he could be an effective president with that many people feeling that way.
Have I missed something? Didn’t the media used to cluck its tongue at bigots and scold them for such thoughts? Why is Williams implying that Romney is the one at fault?
If 44 percent of America said it couldn’t fathom a black president, would Williams quote that to Barack Obama and ask him why he thought he could buck such large numbers? I doubt it.
Tim Russert and Williams have been dreadful as hosts of this debate, framing every question using Democratic talking points, with the assumption that the Democratic position was the “right” one and that the Republican candidates had to explain why they hold the “wrong” positions. It’s sort of like talking to any liberal.