The website Puck News describe themselves as “Smart and Engaging Journalism Owned & Operated by the Professional Journalists Themselves.” But as usual, the “professional journalists” are only too happy to publish leftist blather sliming black Republicans. Leftist activist and comedian (and PBS host) Baratunde Thurston is a Puck author, and this was his latest hit piece:
Tim Scott’s Audience of One
A donor class sensation, Scott perpetuates a fantasy about American self-reliance that tells you everything about his candidacy.
Thurston can’t admit he’s self-reliant, because all that talk about systemic racism is how they get liberals to give them PBS shows and stuff. (His show is America Outdoors.) Puck founder Jon Kelly gushes over Thurston in their origin story: “I’ve never read a more cogent, thoughtful, and hilarious voice on those topics.” This was his latest rant:
Scott, the one Black Republican in the Senate, leans heavily on his own story of triumph in the face of difficult childhood circumstances. In 2021, he gave the Republican response to Biden’s first joint congressional address, and used that opportunity to boldly proclaim that “America is not a racist nation.” But his evidence is simply that he, a Black man, is a senator. It’s as if he’s learned nothing from the post-racial fallacy of President Obama’s rise.
Vote for Obama? Twice? You’re still racist. You can’t get off that easily!
Scott relies on the coded notion of “personal responsibility” to shift the burden of society’s failures onto the individual, with the implication being that if you don’t overcome the historical structures designed to limit your life, you simply haven’t tried hard enough.
In an astounding moment during his campaign launch, he honored a childhood mentor by recalling a particularly deranged bit of advice. The mentor told him, “Look in the mirror, and blame yourself.” Scott seems to think this is excellent advice! He went on to explain to the audience that, in his own life, he proudly “chose personal responsibility over resentment,” suggesting his binary view of the world. Either you are personally and solely responsible for your own advancement, or you are a bitter and resentful person.
Thurston trots out that falsehood that critical race theory isn’t being taught in America’s schools as he hammers on the anti-American line:
Scott feels stuck in time. He has a beautiful smile and warm disposition, which is a relief from the crankiness and dystopian perspective of Donald Trump. But his beaming, high-energy persona is a thin mask over a false, fantasy view of America.
He speaks flowingly of choosing “greatness over grievance” when he’s on his anti-woke tirades. He’s clearly proud of himself for suggesting that schools teach “More ABC and less C.R.T.,” but schools aren’t teaching critical race theory, and his grievance over grievances is only directed at “the radical left,” while leaving no room to acknowledge that his own political party is entirely fueled by grievance.
PBS’s website touted Thurston’s TED talk, “which sits at over 5 million views and counting, received compliments from MSNBC’s Brian Williams who called his talk ‘one of the greatest of all time.’” PBS still thinks high praise from Lyin’ Brian is great PR.