News/Commentary

‘Useful fool’: WaPo puts its big, fat thumb on Georgia Senate race with critical piece on Herschel Walker

May 8, 2022 | | Print Article

In what can only be seen as an attempt to affect the outcome of Georgia’s Senate race, the Washington Post issued a hit piece against black Republican Herschel Walker, calling the NFL legend a “useful fool” and claiming he doesn’t “have the best interests of black people or this democracy at heart.”

In a May 4 op-ed written by John Rosengren entitled, “Backed by Trump, a Troubled Georgia Football Legend Eyes a Senate Seat,” Rosengren notes Walker’s “seemingly insurmountable lead” over his fellow GOP opponents and uses Walker’s campaign as an excuse to slam the Republican party.

“I’m here, in part, because I want to see for myself if Walker’s campaign in Georgia reflects the nation’s new norm in post-Trumpian politics,” Rosengren writes. “Can enough celebrity sparkle and Trump rhetoric, coupled with some distortion of facts and often a general indifference to the particular needs of constituents, truly be the reality in GOP politics?”

That the Georgia race — and the success of Herschel Walker — has captured the interest of The Washington Post is not surprising. A Republican win in the highly contested state could shift the balance of power in the Senate, breaking the hold Democrats have on Congress, and as Rosengren correctly notes, “The devotion of [Walker’s] followers runs deep.”

It’s easy to see why Dems would be triggered by Walker’s popularity, but the blatant attempt by WaPo to disparage the sport’s legend — and with him, the entirety of the GOP — is beyond the pale. And what really sends Rosengren over the edge is the support Walker has received from former President Donald Trump.

“Georgia has become a personal battleground for Trump, still bitter about losing the state in 2020,” Rosengren writes. “He has not only backed Walker to regain the Senate seat Republicans  lost to [Raphael] Warnock in a runoff election in January 2021, but he has backed David Perdue — who lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff in the state’s other runoff election — to oust Gov. Brian Kemp.”

Rosengren suggests Trump’s support of Walker is little more than a means to an end in Trump’s “personal vendetta.”

“So is Trump exploiting Walker to slake his personal vendetta?” Rosengren asks readers, before quoting a liberal sociologist.

“‘[Walker] has positioned himself into being a useful fool for those who don’t have the best interests of Black people or this democracy at heart,’ says Harry Edwards, a sports sociologist, civil rights activist and professor emeritus at the University of California at Berkeley,” the article reads.

Rosengren claims Republicans are worried Walker will be “eviscerated” by Warnock in the general election, and for proof, he quotes Shelley Wynter, a radio host in Atlanta while painting Warnock as a political prince among peasants.

“Regarding Walker’s chances of winning the general election, many Republicans worry that Warnock, with his superior oratory skills, experience as a senator and knowledge of the issues, will eviscerate Walker if he does win the Republican nomination and agrees to debate Warnock,” Rosengren writes. “Says Wynter, the radio host, ‘The overwhelming fear is that he wins the primary and flames out in the general election.'”

In other words, Rosengren wants you to believe that a vote for Walker is one that is wasted, as he has no chance of actually winning, despite all indications to the contrary.

On the issue of Walker’s skin color, Rosengren uses an out-of-context quote from Walker’s memoir and another quote from the sociologist to imply Walker has alienated himself from black voters.

“Walker’s refusal to use his national platform to advocate on their behalf alienated him from some of his Black neighbors, which he resented,” Rosengren writes before quoting Walker’s book. “‘I never really liked the idea that I was to represent my people,’ he writes in ‘Breaking Free.'”

“That stance — especially now, coming from a Senate candidate — has drawn sharp criticism from Black leaders,” Rosengren continues. “‘Herschel Walker won’t advocate for anybody, only for what’s in his best interest,'” Harry Edwards says. “‘He’s irrelevant to the Black community, and we should treat him as such.'”

CNN: Biden, Democrats losing Black support by double digits ahead of midterms

It’s another clear attempt by the Washington Post to dictate to members of the black community whom they should and should not support, implying that declining to vote like a hive is somehow a betrayal to their race.

The article goes on and on for a dizzying amount of words — an indication of how panicked Dems really are heading into the midterm elections as the Biden administration loses more and more black votes.

As American Wire News reported in late April, even CNN’s polling data shows support for President Biden and the Democratic party among black voters has plummeted to historic lows, with the president’s job approval rating among black voters down by double digits, from a high of 87 percent at the start of his term to just 67 percent.

Melissa Fine
Latest posts by Melissa Fine (see all)

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.

Latest Articles