What Even Matters Anymore?

By Dustin Rowles | Politics | July 18, 2019 |

By Dustin Rowles | Politics | July 18, 2019 |

Yesterday, I wrote about a CNN interview with a panel of Republican women in Dallas, all of whom not only continue to enthusiastically support Donald Trump in the wake of his (latest) racist tweets but found various ways to justify why those tweets weren’t racist and why The Squad itself is racist because they haven’t invited a white Congresswoman into their group. I’ve been thinking about those women a lot in the last 24 hours, and I can’t get over the thought that the journalist should have asked one final question: “If you believed that Donald Trump was a racist, would you still vote for him?”

That’s where we are now. Honestly, it’s where we’ve always been. They don’t care that he’s racist, and at this point, we’re about a month away from Donald Trump openly embracing the label itself, from proclaiming to the American people, “Yes. I am a racist. I believe in the superiority of the white people, and that’s why you should vote for me.” In fact, Roxana tipped us to this Hamilton Nolan piece over on Splinter this morning that tracks how I’ve been feeling on the matter.

We now seem to be close—very close, closer than would have seemed possible just a few years ago—to the day when mainstream Republicans begin simply embracing the “racist” label. By this I mean that they stop denying it and instead argue that it is a justified position. It is not hard to imagine, is it? Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity grow tired of their pro forma evasions and decide to just bask publicly in the comfort of the cloak of white nationalism; Trump himself, neither savvy enough to concoct plausible denials nor with much incentive to care any more, grabs hold of the “racist” flag and waves it around, hugs it, treats it as red meat to toss to his base, just another transgression against political correctness; and the more right wing portion of the Republican establishment, from Congress to think tanks to southern statehouses, takes a long, satisfied breath, glances around to make sure they have the blessing of Fox News, and at last stops pretending they ever really cared about racism in the first place. If Trump’s political ascendance has proven anything, it is that a large portion of white America has just been waiting for cultural permission to lean into the racism that has always been there.

There is no better evidence of just that than the attendees at Trump’s rally last night openly embracing their racism by chanting “Send them back.”

Fake news! Minges Coliseum only seats 8000 and the picture proves that it’s not even crowded enough to show 20000 people. Your claim is like that of a preschooler who likes to blow things out of proportion.

— Patto (@t0t0perez) July 18, 2019

They do not give a damn, and it’s clear that shaming them, that trying to boycott Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity’s sponsors does not work. They’re going to “take back” racism or “own it,” like they did with “deplorables.” It’s going to be a source of pride, something they advertise on T-shirts. “Racist and Proud!” “Whiteness is my superpower.” “Candy’s dandy, but whiteness keeps me out of prison.” Hell, voting Trump out of office won’t even work to stamp it out; at best, they’ll go back to trying to disguise their racism. The choice in 2020 is not between Biden/Warren/Harris and Trump. It’s between an openly racist country and a country that tries to pretend it’s not racist.

The president is fomenting racism, publicly, at rallies. He is smugly allowing his rally supporters to share racist chants. If you aren't terrified, you really aren't paying attention. I cannot believe this is happening. I cannot believe our elected leaders are doing nothing.

— roxane gay (@rgay) July 18, 2019

— I don’t even know what this is supposed to mean.

Asked Graham about the difference between John McCain, who told a woman that Obama wasn't an Arab, and Trump now: "I don't remember John McCain having to go through this crap every day, all the time." pic.twitter.com/WYbccGDrdu

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) July 18, 2019

— I have no idea of what import this is when 40 percent of the country is embracing racism and there’s apparently no possibility of impeaching Donald Trump, but files from the investigation into Michael Cohen over campaign finance violations have been unsealed, and they basically show that Donald Trump, Hope Hicks, and Michael Cohen conspired together to prevent Stormy Daniels from going public over her affair with the President after the “Access Hollywood” tape.

Hope Hicks committed perjury, obstruction of justice, and federal election law violations. https://t.co/zx8vLfweq3

— Bakari Sellers (@Bakari_Sellers) July 18, 2019

I mean, that knowledge is already baked in. Documented proof doesn’t really change the equation. The SDNY is not even charging Hope Hicks, so I suppose the best we can hope for is that maybe SDNY files charges against Trump once he’s out of office?

Is it too early to be black-out drunk? Asking for a nation?

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