Dimitar Dilkoff / AFP via Getty Images |
Eight years ago, Republican candidates worried about a midterms wipeout seized on a ragtag group of Central Americans as a potential October lifeline. GOP fearmongering filled the airwaves as the so-called “migrant caravan” made its way north.
As recently as Monday I was confident Republicans would not repeat what even then clearly was a desperate play. How quickly I was proven wrong.
In the last few days, President Donald Trump, Republican candidates and right-wing commentators have all latched onto images of riots and chaos in France, and are once again using white nationalist talking points to stir panic, claiming that the unrest in Europe is a preview of America’s future under a Democratic congressional majority. This is a party that’s hamstrung by a historically unpopular president, sky-high fuel prices, troubling economic data points — and has little else to run on.
It’s also a bet that racist rhetoric could be a better motivator for a good portion of the GOP electorate than the economic pain that Trump has unleashed upon them. |
