Ana Kasparian, a cohost of the popular progressive online news show “The Young Turks,” offered a strong defense of her debate with Dai...
Ana Kasparian, a cohost of the popular progressive online news show “The Young Turks,” offered a strong defense of her debate with Daily Wire editor emeritus Ben Shapiro this week, calling out the Left for “platform scolding.”
Kasparian and Shapiro debated topics like education, Critical Race Theory, and the news media during a discussion headlining the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry’s annual dinner, Monday.
Following the debate, Kasparian seemed to address the backlash she received from the Left for engaging in the conversation, emphasizing that it was Shapiro who was “platforming” her, since he has a bigger audience than her, and his “audience isn’t crying about it.”
“Going to be insufferable for a second to make an important point to those who want to accuse me of being some sort of demon for allegedly ‘platforming’ another demon just by debating Shapiro,” “The Young Turks” cohost started a four-tweet thread.
“I went before a room full of (literally) a thousand people who disagree with me. Health industry lobbyists, health care companies, oil businessmen, Republican politicians were all there in the audience,” she continued. “No one (except one worker at the venue and my husband) was on my side, and I went in to debate a guy who is admittedly known as a good debater.”
“That took f***ing balls and I’m sick of being underestimated and attacked as some sort of bimbo,” Kasparian wrote. “I went in because I know I can defend my views assertively.”
“Ben has a bigger following than me. I can assure you he’s platforming me and his audience isn’t crying about it,” the politico said.
“I wish the left was more confident,” Kasparian closed the thread. “We look weak with the platform scolding. I think we’re right on the issues, and I think we can change more minds if we speak to more people.”
Shapiro quote-tweeted Kasparian’s thread approvingly, “This is worth the read,” he wrote, “and [Ana Kasparian] is exactly right.”
“Ana nails the problem of ‘no platforming’ & the pressure to not have conversations with people who hold opposing views,” commented author Peter Boghossian. “This attitude is endemic with those who have a particular worldview & it’s causing deep fissures in society. She should be lauded for debating.”
“I’d bet that not a single one of [Ben Shapiro’s] supporters gave him grief about debating Ana—or gives him grief about who he chooses to debate,” he added. “The ‘no platforming’ attitude is endemic on the woke left.”
Shapiro also retweeted a comment that said Kasparian was “exactly right.”
“You are exactly right in this, the difference is Ben’s audience who are mainly on the right understand that you have an opinion and you are ok to have that opinion,” the comment said. “We do not have to agree with you, but we also do not have the right to shut you down.”
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