Peter Beinart

'Morning Joe': Internet and New Media Are Dividing America
By Noel Sheppard | February 24, 2010 | 12:20 PM EST

If you're reading this or spending time at politically oriented, new media websites, you are adding to the caustic tone in Washington, D.C.

Such was discussed on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Wednesday during a roundtable segment wherein no one disagreed with this premise.

Joining Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski were conservative contributor Pat Buchanan, Time's Peter Beinart, and NBC's Savannah Guthrie.

The topic of discussion was the evolution of partisan politics, and although Beinart pointed out how the parties have been much more greatly divided in the past than they currently are, the conversation continually referred back to the Internet being to blame for today's divisions (video embedded below the fold with transcript and commentary, h/t Story Balloon):

CNN Throws Out Idea That Dems Might Be Better Off If They Lose NJ & VA
By Matthew Balan | October 30, 2009 | 6:39 PM EDT
Paul Begala, Democratic Strategist; & Mary Matalin, Republican Strategist | Newsbusters.orgOn Friday’s Situation Room, CNN forwarded an idea proposed by The New Republic’s Peter Beinart- that Democratic losses in the gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey this year would result in the reelection of President Obama in 2012. An on-screen graphic during a discussion of Beinart’s hypothesis read, “If The Dems Lose Next Week: How it might help them in the long run.”

Anchor Wolf Blitzer read the New Republic contributor’s idea during a “Strategy Session” panel discussion with Republican Mary Matalin and Democrat Paul Begala 53 minutes into the 4 pm Eastern hour: “Peter Beinart, writing in The Daily Beast, says...it might be good for the Democrats if the Republicans win both Virginia and New Jersey, the governors’ races next Tuesday. ‘Let’s imagine,’ he writes, ‘that Democrats lose next week because the GOP’s conservative base flocks to the polls while liberals stay home. For Obama, that wouldn’t be so terrible. The more confident right-wing Republicans become, the more likely they will nominate a Palin-like zealot in 2012.’”
Time's Beinart: Republicans Hate Obama For His Kenyan Father, it's 'Racism'
By Warner Todd Huston | October 10, 2008 | 11:42 AM EDT

This furious beating of the racism drum by the left shows how worried they are that Barack Obama might lose this election. Time Magazine's Peter Beinart once again charges "racism" against anyone that won't support Barack Obama. But, Beinart adds a twist to his accusation. It isn't just his race that is being held against him, in Beinart's eyes it is the fact that Obama has "foreign roots" that causes "whites" to mistrust him. But, like everyone blinded by the flash of the race card he doesn't see that it isn't racism that causes moderates and conservatives to shy from Obama. No, it isn't his relative blackness that people are against, it's his redness. Beinart misunderstands the simple fact that it's Obama's unAmerican ideals makes him not "American enough" to get the support of millions of Americans.

As the Time headline asks "is he American enough," Beinart delves into what he sees as the "Racist" claim that Barack's foreign father is offputting to "white" Americans. He posits that this is the main reason why people cannot warm to Obama. Then Beinart claims that the strategy of the McCain campaign is one of "using race to make Obama seem anti-American." Beinart says these "attacks" are hurting Obama in the polls with "working-class whites." He also seems to say that the whole campaign is filled with code words such as questioning what "kind of person" he is. These all culminate into a racist attack that undermines Obama.

Who Is Using Race as an Issue?
By Kathleen McKinley | August 13, 2008 | 4:17 PM EDT

Peter Beinart at the Washington Post is afraid this Presidential campaign is going to be about race. He is warning Obama that it shouldn't be. It has been brought up though. But by whom? Here is what Beinart had to say:

That's the lesson of recent weeks, when the McCain campaign brought up race (on the pretext that Obama had brought it up first). The Obama campaign tried desperately to change the subject but couldn't. Once the chum was in the water, the media sharks went wild.

On the pretext that Obama brought it up first? Excuse me? Obama did bring it up first. Obama was the one who threw "the chum" in the water.

At a fundraiser in June here is what Obama said: