The following, by Brent Budowsky, appears on The Hill:
Dear Mr. Drudge:
I have written before that, whether I like it or not, you are the one of the most influential forces in modern media, possibly THE most influential single player. You tower above your peers in what you do. Despite my failed efforts, no liberal or Democrat has even tried to create a legitimate competitor to what you do. But with your influence comes power, and with power comes responsibility, and the Drudge Report in recent months has become inundated, and saturated and permeated with baiting stories about the president’s race, and about blacks generally. These are beneath the standards you should set for yourself and your profession.
You should be, and I hope you will be, a better citizen and more worthy professional than is suggested by the sheer number of race-related and often race-baiting stories that you regularly banner on the Drudge Report.
Am I suggesting you are a racist? Absolutely not. I am sure in your personal relationships you are a gentleman of integrity and fairness. Am I suggesting you are giving aid and comfort to those who are racist, or those who play the politics of race for partisan gain? Absolutely. You bet. A visit to the Drudge Report at any given time in recent months bears witness to story after story, time and time again, day after day, week after week, month after month, of a laundry list of stories with racial innuendo and suggestion and implication that I would like to believe are below the standards you would set for yourself and your profession.
Do these stories help Republicans? No. I once wrote a piece about the “Drudge delusion.” I was dead wrong about 2010. I was damn right about 2012. These stories embody a road to demographic ruin for Republicans. In the aftermath of this last election I wrote a piece for The Hill about “Why Obama Won.” One of the major reasons is that when voters are demeaned, ridiculed and insulted they tend to vote in larger numbers than expected against those who demean, ridicule and insult them.
This brand of politics, journalism and media is not only unworthy of our nation and our profession, it is unworthy of any individual, party and profession that should give at least a modicum of respect to all of God’s children, created in His image, no matter what their race or religion or color or creed or nationality or heritage or background or personal beliefs.
My Brother Drudge, you have attained a level of power, influence and stature and with this goes responsibility, which I propose you exercise in the manner I suggest here.
The election is over and with this, certain things need to be said, one of which I have just said here.
{Matzav.com Newscenter}
Who’s Drudge? Seriously, a large number – probably a majority – of Americans don’t follow the Drudge Report and couldn’t care less. He has a demographic in his market – conservative, Republican and not prone to compromsie – and he gives it what it wants. If he got major flak for running race-baiting items, he’d quit. that obviously hasn’t happened. Mr. Drudge is just being a good businessman. The problem is with his customers.
It’s nice to hear someone standing up for American values like fairness and against racism, but don’t be disappointed when you’re ignored. If it makes him money, he’ll do it.
Fool yourself that obama won for any other reason than that he says he will make the rich pay their”fair”share so all minorities can have free phones etc
This is a ridiculous letter. Perhaps race is meaningless to the writer but to project his personal feelings about how the real world works on everyone is naive. To have the vast majority of blacks and Muslims vote for a man who has no skills can only be explained in terms of race.
In truth, it was the Democratic political machine that played the race card in this past election
Sigh. You know, the electorate is still 72% white. If some of those non-minority types hadn’t voted for him, he wouldn’t have won. Stop the denial and get moving. Analyze why the Republicans lost. Do something about it. We really do need two parties in this country. Blaming race, or free phones (not true) or Gov. Christie is great for hurt feelings, but it’s not going to make the Republican Party ready for the 21st century. Get with the program. Thinking may hurt, but it’s necessary.