NY Times Editor Faces Backlash for Claiming Progressive Congresswomen Are Not From Midwest
New York Times editor Jonathan Weisman found himself in hot water on Wednesday with a tweet dismissing the idea that several progressive congresswomen are from the midwest.
The tweet — known colloquially on Twitter as “the bad tweet” — has since been deleted. Here’s what it said:
“Saying @RashidaTlaib (D-Detroit) and @IlhanMN (D-Minneapolis) are from the Midwest is like saying Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin) is from Texas or @repjohnlewis (D-Atlanta) is from the Deep South. C’mon.”
The tweet was in response to Justice Democrats spokesman Waleed Shahid, who rebutted former Sen. Claire McCaskill’s point that “free stuff from the government does not play well in the Midwest” by saying that Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib are from the Midwest.
All of the Congress members Weisman singled out were people of color, except Rep. Lloyd Doggett. Some took his point as a means of saying people of color aren’t “real America.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called the tweet a “Trump talking point” and Omar certainly wasn’t happy.
They literally are, &this comment is what erasure looks like. HIGH TURNOUT from DEEP BLUE SEATS &being competitive everywhere is the core of a winning strategy.
It’s disturbing to see this Trump talking pt that dense, diverse communities “aren’t the REAL [America/Midwest/etc].” https://t.co/S97RillWbU
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 31, 2019
? this will certainly be news to people of Minnesota’s 5th District! https://t.co/Im31ERKtW0
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) July 31, 2019
Weisman deleted the tweet, which quickly drowned in a ratio, and offered an explanation in a subsequent post.
Earlier this morning I tried to make a point about regional differences in politics between urban and rural areas. I deleted the tweets because I realize I did not adequately make my point.
— (((JonathanWeisman))) (@jonathanweisman) July 31, 2019
Responses to his claim were brutal:
Hard to think of a better example of how deeply the press has internalized Republican rhetoric about urban America. https://t.co/2GvUScHdct
— Osita Nwanevu (@OsitaNwanevu) July 31, 2019
I love the inclusion of Lloyd Doggett in a transparent attempt by NYT’s deputy Washington editor to head off accusations of racism. Regardless, this is still very racist. The idea that civil rights hero John Lewis isn’t from “the Deep South” is especially jaw-dropping. pic.twitter.com/qgeBoh5JlX
— David Klion? (@DavidKlion) July 31, 2019
After he gets ratioed he’s going to say this isn’t about racism, it’s about how major cities aren’t representative of their surrounding regions. While this is to an extent true, sometimes, it’s also an argument that replicates and normalizes racist structures.
— David Klion? (@DavidKlion) July 31, 2019
I can’t get over this. It’s horrible on so many levels.
What was @jonathanweisman, a Deputy Editor at the New York Times, doing when John Lewis was being beaten, imprisoned, and threatened in the Deep South? pic.twitter.com/dYL0tEBsoO
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) July 31, 2019
Who in the hell do you think you are, @jonathanweisman? I was born and raised Cleveland—but I guess I’m not from Ohio, based upon your standards? Oh, a tip for you: if you’re black and in your hometown of Atlanta, you might just find out quickly just how much you’re in Georgia.
— Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) July 31, 2019
As a doctoral student in history, I had to train myself not to say “the South” when I meant “the white South,” because the South is not just the white South, and never has been. Yes, John Lewis, born and raised in rural Alabama, is from the Deep South.
— Angus Johnston (@studentactivism) July 31, 2019
I’m sitting here in the Midwest confounded by your tweet. When did you last visit us?
— Connie Schultz (@ConnieSchultz) July 31, 2019
why’d he never delete this one https://t.co/6lBTsl65xp
— libby watson (@libbycwatson) July 31, 2019
This is a bad tweet, revealing a lot about your biases. Have you done any work examining how these biases affect your ability to do your job?
— David M. Perry (@Lollardfish) July 31, 2019
[Photo by Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images]
