Journalist Chris Cillizza is receiving backlash on Twitter for calling black Republican Condoleezza Rice "the GOP's white whale.”
"Condoleezza Rice is the GOP’s white whale," he wrote.
A reference from the book Moby Dick, “white whale” refers to someone who is always out of reach. The book’s protagonist pursued and obsessed over a white whale that constantly eluded him.
According to The Washington Post, there’s an open Senate seat in California in 2016, but as much as Republicans would love Rice to run as a candidate, “there’s also not one single shred of evidence that Rice has any interest whatsoever in running for elected office.”
“Sure, she dabbles in politics, giving a few speeches here and there – most notably at the 2012 GOP convention – but other than that, nothing suggests she is pining to spend her days in the Senate.”
Cillizza tweeted out his comment with a link to the Washington Post article he wrote, simply making the point that it’s doubtful Rice would pursue a job on the Hill despite the hopes of her Republican fans.
Several people responded to his tweet with anger, calling him “racist” and “clueless” among other names.
They obviously didn’t put two and two together. The golfing photo probably didn't help.
At least one guy got the reference: