You can elevate an opinion by responding to it, even if that response is to repudiate. If members of Biden campaign repudiate Spencer, why elevate Spencer by having Biden do it?
2020 Presidential election
- Thread starter gandalfe
- Start date
You can elevate an opinion by responding to it, even if that response is to repudiate. If members of Biden campaign repudiate Spencer, why elevate Spencer by having Biden do it?
Zombie
Well-Known Member
I think Red meant Bates is part of Biden's campaign team. There's no reason for a presidential candidate to give any more oxygen to Nazis by responding themselves imo.
Beer
Well-Known Member
And I'm saying the dems really latched on to Trump not publicly distancing himself from David Duke support and what not.
I'm sure now, to make the comparison complete and the implied charge of hypocrisy accurate, you'll point to the tweet from Trump's campaign team the told David Duke to go away.
Beer
Well-Known Member
What? I'm saying the dems killed Trump for not shutting down Duke and other white supremacist support so if they then don't shut it down on their end that would be hypocritical of them. No? Are we on the sam page? Or what's going on here?
Zombie
Well-Known Member
Do you really think the support among white supremacists between the two camps is in any way comparable? Or that they've both actively courted support among those groups?
Beer
Well-Known Member
Neither of those are what my argument is. The dems demanded Trump shut down any support from racists, but will they do the same now that the ball is in their court? Did Trump get more support? Sure. Did he actively court them? Not totally sold on that. But either way Biden has the chance to tell him to go to hell now. Or in my opinion, is a hypocrite.
Zombie
Well-Known Member
You can't look at these situations in a vacuum and expect your argument to be taken seriously.
As for Trump actively courting the far right, he literally began his recent political career with bitherism so I'm not sure how you missed that.
In any case Biden's campaign already told Richard Spencer to go to hell, so this whole argument is pointless.
Beer
Well-Known Member
Good to know then, let's move on.
Birtherism, border wall, confederate statues, confederate flag, constant dog whistles to racists, never directly saying that all of that is bad without later walking it back...
Trump absolutely courts the racist vote. If you aren't convinced it's because you don't want to be.
Trump has been the greatest inspiration to marginalized racist groups in 60 ****ing years. They literally shout Trump's name as they go on racist tirades. Is that Trump's fault? Yes, yes it ****ing is.
The Thriller
Well-Known Member
It’s amazing how you had to explain this. It’s not like Barry Goldwater’s advice to “go hunting where the ducks are”, Nixon’s southern strategy, Willie Horton, Trump’s racism, and how the two parties have realigned is some great secret. But unfortunately, there are a lot of stupid unserious people out there who know very little history about the country they live in and spew political opinions about.
The Thriller
Well-Known Member
I think one has to look at the power of Trump and his 2016 campaign. He ran an overtly racist campaign. From the day he came down the escalator, it was an open invitation for white supremacists. Sure, he hid behind the extremely thin veneer of “America First” and “MAGA.” But that was only a dog whistle to racists. I think he’s much more overt now than in 2016. The demand for him to denounce David Duke was more of a hope that he wasn’t the racist that most of us saw him as. Many wanted him to denounce Duke because they wanted it to hurt politically if he didn’t.
However, as we saw, his racism was actually a strength not a weakness. Why? Barry Goldwater in 1964 set into motion what would later become “The Southern Strategy.” Republicans broke up the New Deal Coalition by abandoning minorities And classes and focusing solely on whites and white grievances. This allowed them to turn the south and west into Republican strongholds.
They had to be subtle in their rhetoric. The country wasn’t as polarized as it is now. While Ronald Reagan used the race neutral language of “welfare queens” and “law and order”, George Bush engaged with the dog whistles of Willie Horton. Both used racism without being explicitly racist. Being explicitly racist would’ve destroyed them politically.
Trump however, to everyone’s shock, was overtly racist. Because the GOP had spent decades embracing anti-intellectualism and playing footsies with racists, no longer had a moderate base to refute Trump’s overt racism. They had built up an entire media apparatus to create an entire alt reality for followers. Which is why so many moderates and those on the left demanded he openly denounce Duke and why it benefitted him politically on the right to not. When he eventually did (I think he claimed he didn’t know who Duke was) it was done with a wink and nod so he could claim that he wasn’t overtly racist and merely cared about “MAGA.” His base loves the racism. Many aren’t shy to express it while others still hide behind the thin veneer of America First, MAGA, and All Lives Matter!
Which is why Democrats needed to overwhelm his base in 2016. They didn’t, they stayed home or voted 3rd party because Hillary wasn’t perfect. If they don’t overwhelm his base again, they’ll get another 4 years of him.
For those of you who doubt the GOP’s southern strategy, just read Lee Atwater’s quote. Trump is the natural consequence of the southern strategy. Trump’a entire presidency has been about White supremacy. He’s working hard to keep the rich, the corrupt, and the top whites in power as long as they continue to enrich him.
en.wikipedia.org
However, as we saw, his racism was actually a strength not a weakness. Why? Barry Goldwater in 1964 set into motion what would later become “The Southern Strategy.” Republicans broke up the New Deal Coalition by abandoning minorities And classes and focusing solely on whites and white grievances. This allowed them to turn the south and west into Republican strongholds.
They had to be subtle in their rhetoric. The country wasn’t as polarized as it is now. While Ronald Reagan used the race neutral language of “welfare queens” and “law and order”, George Bush engaged with the dog whistles of Willie Horton. Both used racism without being explicitly racist. Being explicitly racist would’ve destroyed them politically.
Trump however, to everyone’s shock, was overtly racist. Because the GOP had spent decades embracing anti-intellectualism and playing footsies with racists, no longer had a moderate base to refute Trump’s overt racism. They had built up an entire media apparatus to create an entire alt reality for followers. Which is why so many moderates and those on the left demanded he openly denounce Duke and why it benefitted him politically on the right to not. When he eventually did (I think he claimed he didn’t know who Duke was) it was done with a wink and nod so he could claim that he wasn’t overtly racist and merely cared about “MAGA.” His base loves the racism. Many aren’t shy to express it while others still hide behind the thin veneer of America First, MAGA, and All Lives Matter!
Which is why Democrats needed to overwhelm his base in 2016. They didn’t, they stayed home or voted 3rd party because Hillary wasn’t perfect. If they don’t overwhelm his base again, they’ll get another 4 years of him.
For those of you who doubt the GOP’s southern strategy, just read Lee Atwater’s quote. Trump is the natural consequence of the southern strategy. Trump’a entire presidency has been about White supremacy. He’s working hard to keep the rich, the corrupt, and the top whites in power as long as they continue to enrich him.
Lee Atwater - Wikipedia
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Red
Well-Known Member
Spencer is a POS. I’m going to let a POS make me jump, by replying to him? It’s beneath me, and only elevates him more. My followers know I don’t want the support of white supremacists. Screw Spencer. Send out one of my campaign staff with the fly swatter.
The Thriller
Well-Known Member
They did shut it down, with a tweet from a member of Biden's campaign team.