1980s-era Left-wing television talk show host Phil Donahue recently passed away. Rest in peace, Phil.
My most memorable moment from his show was when I stayed home from work one morning to watch his interview with my old friend, Walter Williams. Donahue was obviously plotting an ambush in which he wanted Walter to tell him that there are so many “illegitimate babies” (it was ok to use that language back then) because women who have “illegitimate” babies so often do so just to collect another welfare check. Then Donahue would mock and ridicule Walter for saying something so outrageous. That was his plan, anyway.
Walter was sitting in a chair on the stage with Donahue literally circling him like a shark and then went in for the kill. “Professor Williams, what causes all these illegitimate babies?” he said. Walter sat back and said: “Sexual intercourse causes it Phil. I thought you knew that.” The audience went wild with laughter that wouldn’t stop. They had to go to a commercial and when they came back the audience was still laughing (at Donahue) hysterically. Donahue got nastier, more uncouth, and meaner towards Walter for the rest of the show.
A week or so later, while at work at George Mason, Walter showed me a letter he had just received form Milton Friedman. It was a letter Friedman had written to Donahue saying, “Please cancel my scheduled appearance on your show. I don’t like how you treated my friend Walter Williams.”
10:17 am on August 19, 2024
