In the segment before Coulter was introduced, co-host Barbara Walters read a passage that accused famous bi-racial personalities such as President-elect Barack Obama, Alicia Keys and Halle Berry of "race-bait[ing] their way to success."
Coulter writes in the book:
Even grifters know that to be embraced by the cool people in America, you must claim to be a victim, preferably abused by religious fundamentalists.
In a related phenomenon, various half-black celebrities insist on representing themselves simply as "black" -- the better to race-bait their way to success.
Actress Halle Berry, singer Alicia Keys, and matinee idol Barack Obama were all abandoned by their black fathers and raised by their white mothers. But instead of seeing themselves as half-white, they prefer to see the glass as half-black. They all choose to identify with the fathers who ditched them, while insulting the women who struggled to raise them.
In 2002, Berry engaged in wild race-baiting to win her Oscar and then ate up most of the awards show with an interminable acceptance speech claiming that her award was "so much bigger than me." People who say "it's bigger than me" always mean it's just about them.
During the 2008 campaign, Barack Obama repeatedly said the exact same thing: "This election is bigger than me." Would they be able to pawn off their personal victories as transformative events for the nation if they were not claiming to be doing it for the blacks?
Goldberg called Coulter's words "bulls***" and said that a 5 ft 7 inch blonde woman shouldn't be commenting on race issues that she hasn't experienced personally. Co-host Sherri Shepherd chimed in, saying it doesn't matter what race bi-racial Americans identify with because society defines them as black.
By the time Coulter ended up at the Hot Topics table to defend her point of view, Goldberg had moved on to another controversial topic in the book – single mothers. In a chapter titled "Victim of a Crime? Thank a Single Mother," Whoopi quoted several of Coulter's comments, including one that read: "Single motherhood is like a farm team for future criminals and social outcasts."
Whoopi said she took personal offense at Coulter's suggestion in the book that female celebrities use single motherhood to promote their latest film or TV projects, but Ann said she was just talking about the last few years.
Elisabeth asked Ann why she doesn’t come down on the fathers who abandon the children. Ann said that people who say they are victims have doors open for them and she doesn't like the way that single mothers are exalted.
The conversation eventually swung back to Coulter's view on bi-racial celebs. Ann accused the ladies of attacking her in the previous segment when she was not there to defend herself. Coulter also accused Barbara of earlier reading the bi-racial passages from her book as if she were reading "Mein Kampf," a book dictated by Adolph Hitler.
Walters responded by reading another segment from the book in a warm, soft monotone, after which lone conservative co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck snapped to Coulter, "Was that gentle enough?"
The passage, which said some negative things about John F. Kennedy, was followed up by Walters asking Coulter her thoughts about Caroline Kennedy's run for the senate. While Coulter said that we don’t know much about JFK's daughter, Sherri interrupted Coulter to say that her "Mein Kampf" crack to Walters was uncalled for.
"I don't appreciate the way you're talking to [Barbara]," Sherri told Ann, which was followed by applause from the audience. "Nobody is attacking you. You didn't have to talk to her like that."
As they tried to go to break, Whoopi said she wanted to reiterate that they were not attacking her. When Ann tried to say something, Whoopi told her that she listened and now it is your turn to listen.
She added that Ann can dish it, but can't take it. (You GO Whoopi!)
“There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action."
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