I’m relieved to say that I have only mentioned Candace Owens here occasionally and in passing, so I’m not embarrassed by her being revealed as an ignoramus. Owens’ shtick is that she’s an attractive, black, female conservative pundit who has supports Donald Trump. Who knows what she really believes, but conservatives jumped at having her around to annoy progressives. (Owens’ biography shows many flip-flops to advance her career, and little to indicate she is more than a skilled hustler with charisma and a good agent.)
Now their cynical embrace of an opinionated college journalism-major drop-out is coming back to bite them, and it serves them right. Owens has been flapping her gums on various forums accusing Israel of “genocide,” which, among other things, shows that she doesn’t know what the word means. The David Horowitz Freedom Center, a conservative organization that was complicit in allowing Owens to become a case study in the pundit Peter Principle, today washed its virtual hands of her, and emphatically so, saying in part,
Six years ago, the David Horowitz Freedom Center invited the then little-known Candace Owens to its annual Restoration Weekend gathering of conservative movers and shakers….At this conference she met Charlie Kirk, and connected with his nationwide student organization Turning Point USA, and became a national figure. The David Horowitz Freedom Center went on promoting Candace, honored her with an Annie Taylor Award for Courage in 2018, and hosted her at multiple events.
That’s why we are so disappointed in what she has become…
The atrocities of October 7, the appearance of ignorant mobs in the U.S. chanting “Hitler was right” and supporting the Hamas terrorists, and Candace’s moral equivalence about these neo-Nazis have changed the stakes. We have decided to issue the present statement because of her recent promotion of Hamas’ genocidal lies. For example, she has falsely compared Israel to the “segregated South.” This is the sort of ignorant ‘Apartheid State” slander that we expect from Black Lives Matter – and the Jew-killers of the Middle East. When Candace implied that Israel was engaged in “genocide” for defending itself against the atrocities committed by Hamas, that’s the kind of genocidal lie we expect to hear from Hamas. And when she suggested that to remove the Hamas auxiliary — Students for Justice in Palestine — from campuses would increase antisemitism, that’s what we expect to hear from the New York Times….
Instead of focusing on the meaningful activism and defense of American values that brought her to our attention, Candace Owens has become obsessed with her own fame, stirring up drama to compensate for a lack of real achievement. …Candace tackles a subject she knows nothing about, never bothers to learn anything about it, and then rides the backlash by playing the victim to generate more fame and money.
What a tragic misuse of talents.
…But this is not just about Israel. It’s about the survival of western civilization which the Islamic jihadis have been working to destroy. And it’s about the sad caricature that Candace has become, and the end of the promise we saw in her. The David Horowitz Freedom Center wishes to express its deep disappointment with Candace’s ignorant, hateful and morally obtuse remarks about Israel and the Jews. But, of course, it’s not just about the Jews. The Jews are the canaries in the mine. The West is next and America above all.
It’s one thing to have been alive in the Thirties and not realize where the Nazis were heading. It is quite another to be alive during a 75-year campaign by Islamic jihadis to “finish the job that Hitler started,” and fail to stand against their open campaign to create a second Holocaust.
…We are in a civilizational war and Candace is either on the sidelines or actively supporting the crusade against the West….
We at the Freedom Center remain committed to finding and supporting the activists who will do the work, rather than chase the clicks, who will stand up for freedom and the sanctity of human life, who will refuse to compromise with evil and retreat into a delusional isolationism that says if the evil doesn’t affect me immediately, I don’t really care about its victims or the future that it intends….Goodbye Candace, we will continue to support those who truly strive to raise up the movement for liberty and life, not selfishly tear it apart.
Good. It would be better if the Center acknowledged that it was irresponsible to promote Owens in the first place. She, Tucker Carlson and many other conservative demagogues (including members of Congress like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Presidential candidates like Chris Christie) are primarily motivated by the need “to generate more fame and money” and “chasing the clicks.” Conservatives are thrilled to such elevate opportunists for their flash instead of their substance, misleading the public along the way.
Maybe the Candace Owens debacle will teach them a lesson.
Nah.
Ethics Alarms 
There will always be carpetbaggers. I am sorry that she has turned out to be just that.
But she is not alone. Many self styled conservatives like Michael Steele, and others listed in your post so far more harm to the conservative agenda by constantly trying to find ways to get on TV. I have determined that most if not all those engaged in politics try to bet on what lane will help them advance their personal power and prestige. Ironically, it is none other than Trump who is undermining that assessment. He is smart enough to realize that his brand took a huuuuge hit as President but still comes back for more rather than rebuilding his income generating brand.
I have no problem with competing ideas from within or without the conservative wing. In fact, I know that better results often come from synthesizing competing ideas. However, any synthesis must be built on a foundation of common core values. You cannot come to agreement if one side believes you are morally bankrupt and their way is the only way. Both sides must start from the belief that peaceful coexistence is the goal and that cheating or subterfuge is counterproductive in the long run.
“There will always be carpetbaggers. I am sorry that she has turned out to be just that.”
Disappointment here as well, Chris.
PWS
Put me in that group as well. I have been very surprised…shocked, actually…at Ms. Owens’ statements regarding Israel, particularly those accusing Israel of genocide. I find it very discouraging.
The Freedom Center’s critique of Candace is both aggressive and extensive, leading me to believe there’s a lot more substance here than just the things I personally have read and heard since the first week of October.
I was immediately drawn to these (somewhat Trump-esque, if I may be so bold) statements:
“…Candace Owens has become obsessed with her own fame, stirring up drama to compensate for a lack of real achievement. …Candace tackles a subject she knows nothing about, never bothers to learn anything about it, and then rides the backlash by playing the victim to generate more fame and money.”
The previous paragraphs lay out the actual issues regarding her stances on Israel and Hamas. What I highlighted is personal…”a lack of real achievement” is very personal. This suggests an ever-widening rift between the Freedom Center and Ms. Owens, a rift that goes far beyond Israel and Hamas. Look at the placement of the word “never”. She “never” bothers to learn anything about a subject she knows nothing about? Never? Really?!? I have heard her talk about numerous subjects and she is very intelligent. Yes, she’s dead wrong about Israel and that’s bad, but the statements above suggest she’s totally uninformed about anything that crosses her path, which I also think is wrong.
If Candace Owens is one that truly “rides the backlash…to generate more fame…”, then the Freedom Center has just thrown her a AAA-level fastball down the middle and dared her to hit it.
Obviously, there’s way more to Candace’s misdeeds – at least as far as the Freedom Center is concerned – than meets my eyes, and certainly more than just being wrong about Israel.
…and I’m now very suspicious of Ms. Owens.
You know, I just realized…she and Ben Shapiro have done a bunch of stuff together in recent years. Ben’s a Jew. I would have to believe that he would have thoughts on this. I’ll need to do some more digging. If he sees all this the same way, then that would be a definite corroboration.
Sorry, this was kind of scattered all over the place.
Well, that only took about two minutes to research. Apparently Shapiro is NOT happy with Ms. Owens’, either.
>>>never bothers to learn anything about it,
I took that to specifically refer to her stance on Israel, not as a general statement. Bad enough, though.
And yes, Shapiro is not happy with her, but the top guys at the Daily Wire have said they have no plans to fire her.
Good point…and I originally thought that as well. But unless the Freedom Center has its public statements proof-read by the White House Press Secretary, I’m guessing careful word-smithing occurred and the intent is purposeful.
You may be right, but there is no nuance to that phrasing at all. “Never” is a superlative, and there is no qualifier on it. Either way, the Freedom Center is laying a serious smackdown on Ms. Owens.
Reading it once again, I take your point. It could be read solely to refer to her stance on Israel or more broadly.
Either way, yes, it’s a serious smackdown. And no, I really seriously doubt the White House Press Office is involved.
I had watched a video or two of Ms. Owens prior to this. Initially, I liked what I saw but it did seem there was something click baity about her stuff. Now, though, she’s walked the plank.
I think we are in agreement on that conclusion.
HT was on to Candace Owens years ago.
As a side point, I’m not sure being a college dropout is an indictment. Given the current state of the academy, it may be a sign of good judgment. (There may also be other explanatory factors. According to her wiki page, she had to drop out because of student loan problems. Much as did Mrs. OB half a century ago.)
No, you’re right, and I wasn’t clear. Some of the most brilliant people I know or have known didn’t finsih college or attend at all, including my mother. I am dubious of pundits, journalists and others who represent themselves as authorities or worthy of influence, however, when nothing in their background suggests an interest in substantive knowledge, and a drop-out journalism major—I regard that as a BS degree—raises that suspicion. Owens has all the traits of someone who relies on other talents and traits besides knowledge to succeed.
Roger.
Candace Owens has turned into another Conservative embarrassment, what a disappointment.
On a separate point; Chris Christie is “primarily motivated by the need ‘to generate more fame and money’ and ‘chasing the clicks.’ “???
Did I miss a recent massive character flip flop on the part of Christie?
With the exception of Christie intentionally holding back and soft-balling Trump in the 2016 primaries trying to set himself up politically to be a possible VP pick, which I thought was a terrible idea and way out of his normal character, I think Chris Christie has always seemed like a political straight shooter to me. In general, Christie has struck me as a politician that says what he means and he means what he says regardless of money and fame and he doesn’t seem like he’s chasing clicks, I truly can’t say the same about most other politicians no matter which side of the aisle they’re on.
I know I’ve been less active for a few months but, what the heck did I miss?
Oh, the flip-flop on Trump was enough for me.
I never really liked Candace to begin with. Something always seemed off with her to me. She had this vibe of token black conservative pundit, with a lack of depth, which she made up with being loud and causing drama. I would imagine her veiled antisemitism is probably related to her association with Kanye, and we know how that went. Reminds me of Black Hebrew Israelites. She also had some “Russia isn’t so bad” views too, to throw into the hat of questionable takes. If I were a betting man, I would say her association with Daily Wire might not be too long for this world.
I have not really seen much of Candace Owens since the 2020 election. Maybe I am just in the wrong circles, but I used to see stuff from her, and then she just faded away. If that assessment is correct, then this makes perfect sense. This smacks of an attempt at relevance. There is a lot of antisemitism in the black community, not just in the Nation of Islam and the Black Hebrew Israelits, but in popular preachers like Jeremiah Wright. Playing to that is a smart move for relevance in the rising conservative black community, which may harbor such hatred of Jews, by showing that she is not a puppet of Ben Shapiro.
“There is a lot of antisemitism in the black community, not just in the Nation of Islam and the Black Hebrew Israelites, but in popular preachers like Jeremiah Wright.”
A fact that is scrupulously avoided by the news media.
You ma’am, are no Bari Weiss:
I find Owens generally has a pretty decent grasp of the ideas floating around any subject, and as a result of this incident, have been seeking (not all that diligently, generally enough it bubbles to the surface with high profile types making it easy to get the info) to find additional context to the “genocide is wrong no matter who…” statement.
She ought to own that she said something completely stupid, and if what she meant was “don’t forget there is suffering on both sides” I might say, ok, she stepped in it, and should clarify. But she hasn’t, she doubled down on it.
Some things can be recovered from, some can’t. Unless she repents on this one (and I from what I’ve seen, that isn’t happening), I’d expect her popularity to wane significantly, ala Steven Crowder. He used to have 5M subscribers on YouTube, and every video he did was worth at least 1M+ views.
Anything from him that I see pop up now only has 100k, maybe 200k.
I wonder if this will be Ms. Owens Bud Light moment.