The Five “celebrated” the increase of diversity in the Republican House and Senate yesterday by race baiting African American Democrats. And I’m sorry, but Bob Beckel didn’t really help by flipping a middle finger at Jesse Watters. Oh, he deserved it but he deserved so much more, too.

The Five co-hosts seem to think that by supporting African American Republicans and smearing Democratic African Americans, they have proved how evolved they are.

“Some African American Democrats seem to want to keep America in the 19^th Century mindset,” Eric Bolling said haughtily. Apparently, Bolling’s idea of a modern mindset is talking about President Obama’s meeting with the president of Gabon by saying, “It’s not the first time he’s had a hoodlum in the hizzouse.” Or calling the White House “Barry’s Pot And Coke Emporium.”

Bolling played a clip of African American Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY) talking about the “racial superiority” mindset of some southern Republicans. They didn’t debate what Rangel was talking about, only whether or not he’s a race baiter.

Instead of grabbing the racial bullies by the horns, Beckel played right into their hands by, basically, agreeing with them and making a big deal out of arguing that only SOME black Democrats are this kind of racial awful. “I’m appalled by the whole thing,” Beckel said. He did kinda, sorta defend Rangel and Congressman James Clyburn (D-SC) by saying that their “institutional memory” is the Civil Rights movement.

But, Beckel quickly threw them under the bus again. “The vast majority of Americans don’t agree with that. The vast majority of the House of Representatives and the Senate candidates did not use the race card. It’s a bogus argument that you guys want to bring up. …How many other Black Caucus members do you hear talk about it?”

But really, the point is not what Rangel or any other Democrat said or did not say. The point is, as Alan Colmes said in a similarly framed discussion on Fox, it’s about accusing the other side of what you’re guilty of.

On Fox, at least three Fox News hosts have called or affirmed the call that President Obama is a racist. Hosts have deliberately stuck race baiting fingers in the eyes of African Americans while discussing race, Trayvon Martin, Ferguson and discussions like this. They're in no position to be accusing anyone else of race baiting.

The Five could have held a perfectly legitimate discussion about the GOP African American candidates' winning strategies. But instead, the show used those wins to smear venerable members of the African American community – and that says way more than anything Rangel or Clyburn said.

Adding further insult, Jesse Watters said,

This is old, tired rhetoric. You have Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, LeBron James, a black guy in the White House, Oprah Winfrey… No one cares about this stuff any more. It’s old news. And you know what it does? It has an effect on white voters. That’s why a lot of these Democrat candidates can’t win middle class white voters. ‘Cause if you keep saying everybody’s racist and we’re a bunch of smear merchants… it offends people.

Really, Jesse? Then how is it that the community at Fox Nation, the site that you manage, spews such racism on a regular basis? We found Rep. Clyburn being called a “baboon” there, Michelle Obama “Chewbacca” and worse, as well as racial attacks on Donna Brazile, and African Americans, in general. All within the last few years.

Yet Watters said sanctimoniously, “Are there any white Democrats denouncing their rhetoric? I didn’t hear any. So they’re OK with it.”

Finally, more than seven minutes in, Beckel semi-nailed it. He said, “We’ve picked out the four things we could edit for this block, for this show, so that we could make the Democrats a bunch of racists or race baiters.”

And somewhere in there, Beckel gave Watters the finger. 

So now, instead of focusing on The Five's underhanded race-baiting tactics, everyone's talking about Beckel's finger.

Watch it below.