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Who are the “haters”?
In recent weeks, Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam has become a target of mainstream media attacks because of his anti-Semitic views and ties to Women’s March leader Tameka D. Mallory. “Why won’t Women’s March leaders denounce Louis Farrakhan’s anti-Semitism?” asks Jesse Singal of New York Magazine. Molly Roberts at the Washington Postcharacterized Mr. Farrakhan as “The anti-Semite who’s haunting the left.” Influential black columnist Leonard Pitts Jr. urges strong action when it comes to Mr. Farrakhan’s rhetoric. “Condemn it,” he wrote. “Condemn it loudly. Condemn it with vigor. Condemn it unflinchingly.”
Of course, Mr. Farrakhan is almost always denounced solely for his anti-Semitic views. His anti-white views are apparently not worthy of condemnation. Some of those who condemn Mr. Farrakhan for his anti-Semitism may even share his opinion of whites. For example, in 2007, the crime known as the “Knoxville Horror” took place when a group of blacks kidnapped, raped, tortured, and mutilated Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom. Mr. Pitts responded to the outrage over the crime with the words “cry me a river” because of his scorn for any whites who feel themselves victimized in American society.
Despite his inflammatory statements, Louis Farrakhan still enjoys a verified “blue check mark” account on Twitter. Mr. Farrakhan also has had a close relationship with Democratic politicians such as Keith “Hakim” Ellison. Still, the media do not give him a total pass. He is consistently portrayed as an anti-Semitic extremist Democrats are expected to denounce. For example, Congressman Danny Davis of Illinois praised Mr. Farrakhan as an “outstanding human being,” but withdrew the comment after heavy media pressure.
It is therefore sobering that a recent poll from Rasmussen finds 21 percent of Americans have at least a “somewhat favorable” view of the Nation of Islam leader. Incredibly, 12 percent of whites have a favorable impression, though 57 percent have an unfavorable view. The other 31 percent don’t know enough about him to offer an opinion. This might seem surprising considering Mr. Farrakhan has been active for decades, but it makes sense as the mainstream media do not use the Nation of Islam as a daily boogeyman the same way it does the “Alt-Right.”
More importantly, 50 percent of black voters have a favorable opinion of Mr. Farrakhan, while only 42 percent view him unfavorably. Absent the almost unanimous media bias against him, these numbers would likely be even higher. ...
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