They had Fox on (closed caption but still 🤮) at the nail salon when I went yesterday for my pre-Election Day mani/pedi and since I endured the lunacy I figure I might as well share what I saw with y’all...
It was Chris Wallace’s show and the guests were Karl Rove, Juan Williams and a blonde whose name I didn’t catch. Topic of discussion was whether or not the GOP was making a mistake by making immigration their closing argument rather than the economy.
Of course Karl Rove was decidedly in the tank for unbridled xenophobia, but the blonde and Juan Williams were pretty certain that the Caravan is needless red meat that will certainly fire up the base but alienate Independents and GOP moderates (if they still exist).
What I found to be most telling is how they were all unconvincingly perplexed at how a party that gained control of all 3 branches of govt in 2016 under the guise of curing the WWC’s “economic anxiety” isn’t running on the economic prosperity they allegedly created.
None of them were able to explicitly admit that the GOP chose the immigration/Caravan propaganda because a) GOP fiscal policy hasn’t done a damn thing to help the WWC and b) racism has been sufficient in making the WWC forget how broke and hopeless it is for the last 50+ years.
They also won’t admit that this immigration hysteria is calculated to work specifically on the WWC precisely b/c it sees refugees/immigrants as competition for jobs. The GOP offers its voters no opportunity then primes them to fight for scraps with people who are seeking asylum.
Beyond the job competition aspect, what they can’t/won’t admit openly on the air is that stoking fear of both illegal and legal immigration is a clarion call to White people of all socioeconomic levels who can’t stand the thought of becoming an ethnic minority in the near future.
Clearly I don’t expect thoughtful analysis from Fox but after watching their Sunday midterm coverage for a little under 2 hours it was obvious they were disappointed that Trump’s left the GOP no more room to hide behind economic arguments as cover for blatant racism/xenophobia.
It’s not even that they’re uncomfortable w/the bigotry, they’ve just grown so accustomed to the bait *and* switch that they’re starting to worry b/c the switch part hasn’t materialized. They know if they lose it will be precisely because the GOP decided to jump the hate shark.
In other words, the RW punditry is already preparing to blame any and all midterm GOP losses on the party’s failure to tout its economic record (read Obama’s afterglow). It will pretend it didn’t open a Pandora’s box of White Nationalism as cover for the GOP’s fiscal malfeasance.
Bottom line is today’s GOP is ideologically/morally bankrupt and has given up all pretense that it isn’t. They didn’t even bother with window dressing this cycle because everyone already knows their only selling points are greed, oppression and White supremacy.
The gamble the GOP’s taking in 2018 is that doubling down on overt racism instead of couching it in socioeconomic jargon/dog whistles will still bring them success b/c the White majority will vote for them either way & they’ve suppressed enough D votes to cover the difference.
I’m not saying they’re wrong to take this gamble because again the truth is it’s worked in their favor for the last 50 years, but what I find most notable about this midterm is how in its desperation the GOP willfully chose to put its unfiltered racism up for referendum on 11/6.
They didn’t *have* to choose this path and could just as easily have made their closing argument on claiming undue credit for the job growth/low unemployment rate they inherited from PBO. Their decision not to do so is a tacit admission that they’ve lost faith in trickle down.
After 50+ years, repeated Republican induced recessions (namely Reagan and GWB) and the passage of Trump’s latest tax scam legislation, the GOP’s tiring of fake economic populism b/c it’s too hard a lie to tell anymore. They’ve simply just cut to the chase of White Nationalism.
If they manage to maintain their majorities after Election Day it’ll be considered all’s well that ends well, but if they don’t the blame will rest squarely w/Trump & the GOP leadership for blowing their “cover” by using racism as a first resort when other options were available.
They may never admit it publicly, but if the White majority rebukes the GOP in enough districts to turn the tide the party establishment will have to plot a way out of its unholy alliance w/Trump for its own survival, but it’s already way too fucking late for them to cut bait.
I stomached Fox “news” to bring you this hot take and though I typically ask to change the channel it was fun watching the Foxheads squirm at just the thought that they’ve gone a bridge too far. Here’s to hoping they officially have and a pic of my blue nails for good measure 💅🏾 
Trump's racist ad is too racist even for Fox News shareblue.com/trumps-racist-…
Trump/the GOP’s closing argument for the #2018Midterms:
Propane Jane discusses how Trump/the GOP failed to deliver on their 2016 campaign promise to cure the “economic anxiety” of the WWC & are desperately hoping a closing argument built on bigotry will keep their party afloat on #ElectionDay via @RickSmithShow podbean.com/media/share/pb…
