The attacks on Elder — in the Los Angeles Times, in Politico, and elsewhere — share the classic symbolism of mid-twentieth-century racial paranoia.
One columnist has referred to Elder, repeatedly, as the “black face of white supremacy.” He is incapable of thinking for himself; he is little more than a minstrel in “black face.” That columnist, Erika D. Smith, is African American herself, but is evidently willing to traffic in racist tropes as long as they help her partisan political cause.
The Politico article that reported the allegations made by Elder’s ex-fiancée, Alexandra Datig, failed to cite corroborating evidence, other than hinting ominously that Elder has a bad “attitude towards women” — a lie based on a few context-free quotes from decades of Elder’s broadcasting career.
In a subsequent interview, Datig’s allegations appeared to fall apart, and she was reduced to attacking Elder, 69, for his age.
Datig filed charges, 20 days before the election, based on events she claimed happened six or seven years ago. CNN and the Times dutifully reported that Elder is being investigated by police.
black man, accused by a white woman, can never be given the benefit of the doubt — if he’s a Republican, that is.
The charges? Rejected. But the media got their racist headlines.