Covid-19 and the Conservative Response

So did y'all watch Trump's speech last night?

I liked David Litt's response: "As a former Presidential speechwriter, my careful rhetorical analysis is that he's going to get us all killed."

The racism and xenophobia was also nice, but my favorite part was when he promised a $50 billion dollar federal spending plan -- but not for low-wage workers. For businesses!

Then we're just going to trust the businesses to pass that money on to their workers.

Gimme a minute to laugh about that.

This is a plan to put more money in the pockets of the .01%, which, after all, is why Trump is in office -- to loot the country.

Other responses I'm seeing from the Right match Trump's response almost exactly: xenophobic and racist ranting, mixed with one of two approaches. Either the virus is going to KILL US ALL!1! and it's the liberals fault (see Rod Dreher's pant's-wetting screeching for an example of this); or the virus is NO BIG DEAL, and the liberals are lying about it to attack Trump (see Fox news for an example of this).

Meanwhile, the grift goes on.

Reagan to Nixon to Trump

As this points out, there's a direct line from Nixon through Reagan to Trump. Same tactics, different faces.

Here in Arkansas, so many of my students have been taught that Reagan was a great president, and a hero who saved America. When I point out he was -- like Trump -- a grifter who was bent on filling the pockets of the 1%, a president who destroyed the American middle-class, they can't think what I mean.

Often we hear that the Southern Strategy was just a tactic, a way for Nixon and then Reagan to get votes from (racist) Southern white men. And I'll agree that was a tactic they used. But it wasn't just a tactic. Just as Trump is racist to the core, so were they.

then–California Governor Ronald Reagan phoned President Richard Nixon at the White House and vented his frustration at the delegates who had sided against the United States. “Last night, I tell you, to watch that thing on television as I did,” Reagan said. “Yeah,” Nixon interjected. Reagan forged ahead with his complaint: “To see those, those monkeys from those African countries—damn them, they’re still uncomfortable wearing shoes!” Nixon gave a huge laugh.

Anyone who is surprised by this revelation hasn't been paying attention.


See also this, bc it ain't just Trump.