Chris Harrison thought he could reason with the mob. When leftist activists attacked Bachelor contestant Rachel Kirkconnell for having attended an Antebellum-themed party in college several years earlier, the longtime host defended the young woman against the campaign to smear her. During an interview on Extra, Harrison averred, “We all need to have a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion.” He counseled the mob to refrain from “tearing this girl’s life apart” and instead to give her “a chance to speak.” Harrison’s gallant gesture did not placate the mob. On the contrary, it impelled the censors to turn their attention onto him, at which point he wilted.
“I am an imperfect man,” Harrison confessed on Good Morning America. “I made a mistake, and I own that.” But did Chris Harrison really believe that his encouragement of grace, understanding, and compassion in defense of a young woman was a “mistake”? As a moral matter, Harrison had acted justly. But as a political matter, he had indeed made a mistake, which now threatened his job. So he reversed course, threw the girl under the bus, and pleaded with the mob to spare his career. Days later, ABC announced that Harrison would not return to his show.
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