Matt Lewis to Michael Eric Dyson: Why can't you talk politics without bringing race into it?

Via the Daily Caller, is this really the first time Dyson’s been called out on the air for his one-note race-card shtick? Hard to believe, as is the fact that it’s mild-mannered centrist righty Matt Lewis who finally snapped. This feels almost like a breach of etiquette: Aside from rote racial demagoguery of your political opponents, Lewis is basically asking, why are you even on the panel? Answer: Because MSNBC wants rote racial demagoguery of its political opponents and there’s no more reliable provider within the TV commentariat than MED. He’s there because they expect him and want him to give this answer. It’s not as crass as Bashir wishing someone would crap in Palin’s mouth, but it’s part of the same cutthroat impulse towards demonization that defines the network. Dyson’s response, meanwhile, is that Lewis is exercising “white privilege” by confronting him on this. Which, of course, is exactly what you’d guess he would say.

Interesting, by the way, that neither liberal Krystal Ball nor shrieking arch-liberal Bashir takes any theatrical umbrage at Lewis for saying this. Maybe even they can’t in good conscience pretend that he’s wrong.