Talking Points

I've been amazed at the talking points the Republicans have been pushing to try to justify another term for Trump.  Let's review!

Anitfa: This one has been swirling around for awhile, but it's sure become Boogieman #1 for the right.  This so called loosely knit group of leftist protestors are both described as blood thirsty killers and anti-democracy foes who dare to want to see a fair tax rate imposed on the wealthy.  Much like 'Tea Baggers,' the right didn't think this name through as Antifa' is short for Anti-fascist. When you point this out, Republicans stammer, trying to explain why they are seemingly pro fascism.  By the way, you'd be fooling yourself if the labeling of their enemies as 'anti-fascist' is not an attempt to make the idea of fascism see palatable to the right.

Black People: This is one prong in the Rights attempt to get the suburbs back on Trump's side.  Unlike rural America, where Republicans often campaign openly with 'our lily white purity was violated by THOSE people' dog whistle racism, this time Republicans are trying to wrap their racism behind deflection. "If Biden wins, they will get rid of all zoning laws and do you know what that means? Antifa, gangs, and Black Lives Matter moving into your neighborhood, ruining the value of YOUR property!"  It's not hiding the racism; it's just packaged differently. 

Biden's America:  This is the wildest defense of Trump yet.  They post images of rioting and violence occurring in US streets and insisting "THIS is what you will get in Biden's America!"  The problem is it skips past the fact Trump is currently president.  All of the ugliness you see on the streets today is due, either partially or completely, to Trump and his embracing of racism as a mainstream virtue.  We don't have to fear America becoming like that, as America is already there!  It'd be easy to label this oversight as just fear mongering, but there are Republicans who are acting as if Biden is the actual President right now, responsible for Trump's failures, trying to package Trump as the plucky outsider.  The current RNC Chair Ronna Romney actually implied Biden was responsible for CoronaVirus(!), and Trump himself on Tuesday blamed Biden for not instituting a national mask mandate.  Many Republicans are justifying their 2nd Trump vote by simply pushing Trump's failures onto Biden's plate.

Public Safety: The other prong in the Trump team's attempt to win back the suburbs is to imply there is an actual war going on in the inner cities, and the brave men and women fighting in the trenches are the police.  Once again, they're not trying to hide the racism here, just taking a longer path.  The one meme I see lot of involves the recent shooting in Compton. Most police officers are great, and what happened out in Compton with the shooting of the sheriff deputies is disgusting.  That incident, with its blood soaked photos, is being used to demand blind allegiance to the police, with the unspoken undertone being black people, latinos, minorities, the LGBTQ community,  liberals and protestors are ALL guilty of shooting those sheriff deputies.  To stumble the Right up in their argument, I suggest two options.  The first is to point out the near daily shooting of black people and minorities by police officers, a point which forces Republicans to angrily admit there are also bad cops.  Doesn't excuse shooting police officers but it removes their attempt to make all police angels.  The other counterpoint is more subtle but very effective. I've had multiple white Republicans in the suburbs tell me the story of how they went downtown for a simple dinner but insist they were lucky to escape with their lives, as the 'criminal element' was everywhere!  Respond by saying "gee, sorry you were scared."  That's all you have to say.  Testosterone fueled Republican arguments come crashing to a halt when the have to admit they were scared.

Violence: There is a palatable threat of violence being pushed by the Right which almost reads like 'instructions' to right wing loon balls. "If Biden wins, THERE WILL BE VIOLENCE!!!  People will be shot in the head! Everybody will be on their own! It will be kill or be killed! Are you going to just sit on by while your family is massacred by...THEM!"  When these right wing trolls are called out for their liberal/minority murder fantasies, they put on their earnest faces and play it off.  "Gee Wilikers, I abhor violence.  I'd never encourage it.  I was only pointing out what could happen if Trump loses.  I think the best way to avoid the bloodshed is just to allow Trump a second term." Call them out when they spew their murder fantasies, and if violence occurs after the election by Right Wing Terrorists, tie their comments to the criminal behavior.

The right is desperate.  Not only have they lost ground in most battleground states in the last month, states like Arizona and Florida are looking like sure fire Democratic wins, while  NC, OH, GA, and even Texas are neck and neck. This leads me to my greatest fear.

When it becomes clear none of the talking points listed above have worked and Trump is looking like he'll be wiped out, I expect there to be an assassination attempt on Biden.  The Russians, the Saudis, US based racists and military groups; there are a lot of suspects out there who would LOVE a second Trump term.  I wouldn't be shocked if there are people in the Trump campaign who have researched such a contingency.  Trump himself has praised summary executions and we now have reports of forced hysterectomies in Trump's immigrant detention centers.  How far of a step would it really be for Trump and his Administration?

If we get to Election Day and Biden is not executed, I will gladly admit I was wrong.  But desperate people always turn to desperate measures to stay in power, and there is no more group of desperate people on the planet that the Trump White House.  They're desperate to prevent the world from seeing the truth.