Last week, Caleb Rogers wrote about one of those chain letters that come-- in the snail mail with a stamp-- accusing the Democratic Party of being evil. Rogers asked his readers Is the Democratic Party the Most Evil Organization of Our Lifetime? He doesn't get into a discussion of neoliberalism or about Blue Dogs or Schumer and Pelosi or any of that kind of stuff. Rogers just goes right to a chilling excerpt from the letter:
“… you have associated yourself with the most dangerous political party in the history of this country. The democratic party [sic] of today is not what it was 100 years ago or even 50 years ago. It’s run by Marxists (like Sanders and AOC) who want to destroy America, turning it into a socialist country where they control everything, where the Constitution and civil liberties apply only in the ways they will allow. They advocate the killing of millions of innocent unborn babies each year and are teaching racism in our schools in the form of Critical Race Theory and Project 1619, teaching white kids that they are part of a hateful, racist group of people, perverting and rewriting American history. You guys listen to the lies the liberal media tell on CNN and other leftist media and refuse to do any research that would expose their lies. I know this is the case because if you were doing any real research you would be able to see through their lies.”
Rogers' wrote that there's a lot there to deconstruct. "Let’s forget for a moment that the entire block of text looks like a game of Fox News Bingo, and think about the accusations... That quote above came from a Republican, and I think that with all the accusations coming from the Republican Party and associated voice boxes, every accusation is an admission. Here, it’s an admission of two things. First, this individual just regurgitates what right-wing media personalities say without doing any fact checking. Second, some of that is a projection of Republican activities. For example, '… who want to destroy America, turning it into a socialist country where they control everything, where the Constitution and civil liberties apply only in the ways they will allow.' If you take out the scary keyword, 'socialist,' you end up with a statement any liberal pundit could slap on the Republican Party with ease. Think of Republican-sponsored laws to limit voting rights and bodily autonomy, and also laws that shield fanatics when they drive their cars into people exercising their First Amendment rights.
And then, '… and refuse to do any research that would expose their lies.' How many Republicans do you know via your Facebook or Twitter accounts that just spit out absolute nonsense that is so completely devoid of research or fact-checking it makes your head hurt? I left Facebook because I was so sick of seeing that shit. Well, also the Cambridge Analytica debacle, but that’s another story."
I didn't get the impression that the sender is someone Rogers knows, which means, basically, that people are now receiving these kinds of letters in their mailboxes filled with overwrought right-wing talking points, that could scare the bejesus out of seniors while not visibly related to any political campaign for office. [Although, it kind of is advocating for a Trumpist worldview, same as any of the candidates he's supporting, from Jody Hice in Georgia, Mo Brooks in Alabama, Tedd Budd in North Carolina, Kelly Tshibaka in Alaska, Sean Parnell in Pennsylvania to his carckpot gubernatorial candidates like Kari Lake (AZ) and Sarah Huckabee Sanders (AR).] Random people in everyday life-- who may not be following the news as closely as you are-- are starting to get these. If this is the case, wouldn't it seem like a dramatic development. I mean even Rogers seems to have actually wrestled with the merits of the letter, as if it deserved that. Many apolitical people might find it persuasive. It appears that the far right fringe has developed a level of commitment that you normally see only in... revolutionary movements. And they have the guns and, likely, the police on their side. Just sayin'.
UPDATE: More Trump Endorsements
You also have to assume the people running for Congress who have been endorsed by Trump are dangerous fascists. Some of them are in deep red congressional districts and are going to be elected, adding to the power of crackpots like Marjorie Traitor Greene, Jim Jordan, Mattew Cawthorn and Paul Gosar in their quest to take over and remake the GOP in Trump's image:
Max Miller (OH-16)- open seat (Anthony Gonzales) R+10
Ryan Zinke (MT-02)- open seat unknown PVI
Joe Kent (WA-03) vs Jaime Herrera Buetler R+5
Steve Carra (MI-06) vs Fred Upton R+5
Harriet Hageman (WY-AL) vs Liz Cheney R+26
Anna Luna (FL-13)- open seat (Charlie Crist) even PVI
Derrick Van Orden (WI-03)- open seat (Ron Kind) R+4
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