The Washington Post reports breathlessly on the latest developments in the ongoing search for “alt-right” conservatives:
General Motors was under fire this weekend after a casting call for Cadillac sought members of the self-described alt-right movement.
According to an image of the casting call posted by the news agency Reuters and many others, the notice said an agency filming the ad was looking for “any and all real alt-right thinkers/believers.”
“This is a beautifully artistic spot that is capturing all walks of life of America,” the casting call says, adding that it would be filmed later this month. “Standing together as a union. This is not meant to be offensive in anyway. Just a representation of all sides. Thank you.”
The Post helpfully explains what the “alt-right” is:
The alt-right, or alternative right, is an extremist movement that seeks a whites-only state.
That explains why, despite knowing hundreds or probably thousands of conservative activists, I have never met a member of the “alt-right.” There might be a few people who “seek a whites-only state,” but you can probably count them on your fingers. I have never encountered one, nor do I think that is what Cadillac’s ad agency had in mind.
Coming under attack, Cadillac backpedalled as companies nearly always do when criticized by the Left:
Cadillac tried to quell the criticism with postings on Twitter and on its Facebook page: “Cadillac did not authorize or approve a casting notice for an ‘alt-right (neo-nazi)’ role in a commercial. We unequivocally condemn the notice and are seeking immediate answers from our creative agency, production company and any casting companies involved.”
So an “alt-right” person is a neo-Nazi? This is like snipe hunting. I have never met a member of the “alt-right,” which makes sense since I have never encountered a neo-Nazi, either. These people–Washington Post reporters and, apparently, Cadillac executives–are nuts.
But it doesn’t end there. The Post tries to draw a political conclusion, which is, after all, the whole point:
A key figure in the movement is Stephen Bannon, President-elect Donald Trump’s chief strategist and senior adviser in the White House. Bannon was the executive chairman of Breitbart News, a website popular with alt-right supporters.
So the Washington Post thinks (or, rather, pretends to think) that one of Donald Trump’s key advisers, Steve Bannon, is a “neo-Nazi” who “seeks a whites-only state.” This is completely insane. I have met and chatted with Steve Bannon, and, while I don’t claim to be a close personal friend, I know of no reason to think that he is a neo-Nazi. On the contrary, since he is a strong supporter of Israel, we can rule that out. If the Post seriously thinks that Steve Bannon “seeks a whites-only state,” it would be nice to see some evidence.
But of course, the reporters and editors of the Washington Post don’t believe any such thing. They merely propagate absurd claims about “neo-Nazis” and a “whites-only state” because they, like other members of the Democratic Party, are stunned by Donald Trump’s victory and their own party’s long-term decline. This isn’t reporting, it is a howl of anguish. And a reminder never to take anything that appears in the Washington Post seriously.
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