Washington: The minor issue of the honorific to use for the soon-to-be-First Lady Jill Biden, has blown up into a big controversy, even commented on by The New York Times and Wall Street Journal in opeds. It all started last week with The Wall Street Journal contributor Joseph Epstein’s piece, “Is There a Doctor in the White House? Not if You Need an M.D.,” which argued that Dr. Jill Biden, who holds two master’s degrees and a doctorate in education (Ed.D)from the University of Delaware, does not deserve to be called a doctor.
The op-ed sent liberals into a tizzy, as everyone from Second Gentleman to Northwestern University – where Epstein was a lecturer of English – condemned the piece along with a plethora of liberal media members.
“Dr. Biden earned her degrees through hard work and pure grit. She is an inspiration to me, to her students, and to Americans across this country. This story would never have been written about a man,” Kamala Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff tweeted.
Northwestern University disassociated itself from Epstein.
The New York Times and NBC’s “Today” scolded the piece, a Washington Post columnist declared the op-ed was “worse than you thought” and labeled Epstein a “weird, grumpy, elitist man.” CNN’s liberal in-house media pundit Brian Stelter chalked it up as “sexist,” far-left actress Debra Messing called it “a disgusting display of misogyny” and Michelle Obama blasted the piece in a lengthy Instagram message.
But President-elect Joe Biden’s wife took an expansive view and responded subtly: “Together, we will build a world where the accomplishments of our daughters will be celebrated, rather than diminished.”
WSJ editorial page editor Paul Gigot wrote an oped defending his paper’s decision to publish Epstein’s provocative piece: “Why go to such lengths to highlight a single op-ed on a relatively minor issue? My guess is that the Biden team concluded it was a chance to use the big gun of identity politics to send a message to critics as it prepares to take power. There’s nothing like playing the race or gender card to stifle criticism. It’s the left’s version of Donald Trump’s ‘enemy of the people’ tweets.”
Which provoked more opeds in NYT, etc, criticizing Gigot’s defense.
