CNN's Lemon Problem

. . .There is a constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech even to say stupid things for all American citizens (except for most Republicans and conservatives), but there is no constitutional guarantee of the right to do so as an overpaid television presenter on some alleged “news” channel. . . 

Richard McDonough   "Don Lemon, whose brain may have disappeared into a near earth-orbiting black hole around the time of the November 2016 election, is in trouble again and may lose his job, with his absurd insensitive remark, referring to “person of color” Nikki Haley, upon her announcement that she is running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, that a woman is only “in her prime” in her 20s and 30s and maybe 40s.  (Note, by the way, that a confused Don Lemon claimed that that was the facts but that he was not saying he agreed with it.)  Equally absurdly, Lemon stated that one can verify this on Google.  Apparently, if Google says its true then it must be true.  In fact, one gets a far more nuanced view even on Google but nuance is not Lemon’s strong point.

"Bill O’Reilly makes a partially correct but partially incorrect defense of Lemon’s right to keep his job. 

"O’Reilly correctly stated that Lemon has a long history of absurd claims and that his recent statement is “preposterous” but adds that “The United States no longer has free speech. You will be punished if you say something ‘offensive.’ Lemon may lose his job.”  In fact, firing Lemon over this scandal has nothing to do with free speech.  But before considering O’Reilly’s claim, consider first Lemon’s statement.

"Lemon, like many talking-heads on television, should have known that he was on thin ice when he made any statement about a woman’s prime without stating upon what axis he is measuring them.  Poppy Harlow asked the correct question, which never occurred to Lemon:  Prime for what?  When Lemon limits a woman’s prime to her 20s-40s he is assuming the sexist view that a woman is good only for sexual attractiveness (not his expertise) and baby-making.   Unfortunately, Lemon appears to have forgotten that women have these things called brains that continue to function well into their old age. ". . .