Writing on the Washington Post‘s Style blog, reporter Peter Holley describes CNN anchor Don Lemon as an “aggressively subjective CNN polemicist.” Holley lists a series of odd moments involving Lemon, suggesting Lemon may be the most gaffe-prone anchor at the network since Rick Sanchez:
It remains unclear which came first — Don Lemon inserting his agitating personal opinion into his coverage or his bosses rewarding him with more air time for doing just that. Either way, the combination has been a volatile one. In a matter of months the one-time golden boy with the charming smile has gone from a talking head to a head that seems incapable of not talking when other people are trying to answer his questions. Not since gaffe-laden Rick Sanchez has a CNN anchor courted this much controversy. It’s difficult to pinpoint the moment “Don Lemon, CNN anchor” became “Don Lemon aggressively subjective CNN polemicist,” but experts trace his emergence to at least as early as last year, when Lemon sided with Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly in a discussion about young black men’s social decorum and use of belts.