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- Jun 18, 2018
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"On Thursday afternoon, Senator Mitch McConnell pulled off something like a magic trick. His Democratic colleague, Joe Manchin, came up with a proposed alternative to S.1, the voting-rights bill he does not support. Then Stacey Abrams endorsed it as “some basic building blocks that we need to ensure that democracy is accessible no matter your geography.” At this point, it became a Stacey Abrams proposal, not a Joe Manchin proposal. Abracadabra, trick complete.
...So why did this happen? The answer is a little transparent. Ever eager to press the case against any expansion of voting rights, Republicans fell back onto an old strategy: They racialized the proposal. The moment Abrams, who is Black, expressed a measure of support for Manchin’s compromise, it became a radical, even dangerous, idea. Her name is a byword, evidence that liberals have breached an unacceptable standard. The hope is that, to the GOP’s base, she inspires a kind of fear that Manchin — older, white, and male — can’t possibly provoke.
...It’s a desperate gambit. The Manchin proposal is a true compromise; it’s hardly the stuff of progressive fantasy. ...McConnell and Blunt have given the game away. Unable to admit that their policies are unpopular with most Americans, they prefer instead the familiar dog whistles. Lee Atwater is dead, but his strategy isn’t. Better to make Manchin a chump, and Abrams the bogeyman, than admit defeat. Against powerful racial grievances, bipartisanship doesn’t stand a chance."
Mcconnell appeals to racial fears and is most likely successful. Such appeals usually are.
Happy Juneteenth!
...So why did this happen? The answer is a little transparent. Ever eager to press the case against any expansion of voting rights, Republicans fell back onto an old strategy: They racialized the proposal. The moment Abrams, who is Black, expressed a measure of support for Manchin’s compromise, it became a radical, even dangerous, idea. Her name is a byword, evidence that liberals have breached an unacceptable standard. The hope is that, to the GOP’s base, she inspires a kind of fear that Manchin — older, white, and male — can’t possibly provoke.
...It’s a desperate gambit. The Manchin proposal is a true compromise; it’s hardly the stuff of progressive fantasy. ...McConnell and Blunt have given the game away. Unable to admit that their policies are unpopular with most Americans, they prefer instead the familiar dog whistles. Lee Atwater is dead, but his strategy isn’t. Better to make Manchin a chump, and Abrams the bogeyman, than admit defeat. Against powerful racial grievances, bipartisanship doesn’t stand a chance."
What Republicans Mean When They Say ‘Stacey Abrams’
Joe Manchin doesn’t make for an easy demon.
nymag.com
Mcconnell appeals to racial fears and is most likely successful. Such appeals usually are.
Happy Juneteenth!