Branding America’s GOP: Birtherism, Voter Suppression and the KKK
by Kathy Grear 03/03/2016The Republican talking class is expressing shock and horror that Donald Trump “Birther in Chief” has become the face and standard of their party. Their anxiety seems to revolve around the fact that their party is home to hate groups, hate mongers and bigots that have found an ally in Trump. I’m surprised that they’re surprised. I really don’t think their expression of surprise is genuine. The Grand Old Party (GOP) that was born as the anti-slavery party of Abraham Lincoln is now the party of the Southern Strategy. The Southern Strategy was a scheme invented and used by Richard Nixon that used race and racism as a dividing issue between Democrats and Republicans in the 1960s.
What do the birthers, tea party, white supremacist, white nationalist and voter suppressors have in common? They’re all operating under the Republican banner and looking at Donald Trump as their standard bearer. They are all using racial bigotry to one extent or another to continue the denial of racial equality as an American standard. They’ve apparently found a willing ally in the “Birther in Chief,” who has refused to seriously disavow their support and racial bigotry. The GOP is in a real quandary as the establishment wing of the party disputes the bigotry in their party while the reality of Trump wing is overwhelming proof of its existence.
This coalition of bigots represents a real threat to physical well being of Blacks, other people of color, Arabs and Jews. However, I believe that their greater threat is to American democracy. The party that claims its allegiance to the Constitution has demonstrated their commitment to denying the right to vote to people of color. Republican Governors and Republican controlled legislatures all over America have enacted voter suppression laws that deny many citizens access to the ballot box and relegate many to the status of second class citizenship. This is a form of bigotry that is especially onerous to people of color and follows an age old practice of American exclusion.
The GOP of the last 50 plus years, has intentionally promoted racial bigotry, the Southern Strategy, to unite the historical confederate states around issues of racial intolerance and used racial intolerance as its uniting focus that enabled the New South to become the home of the new Republican Party. They want to have it both ways. They want to recruit using subtle tactics that attract support based upon racial intolerance and promote their party as being racially inclusive. The GOP can’t have it both ways and their past has finally caught up with them in the person of Donald Trump and his coalition of supporters.
The silent embrace of bigotry by the GOP has been exposed by the coalition that looks to Donald Trump as their standard bearer because of his anti-Black, anti-Arab and anti-immigrant rhetoric. The white supremacist in this coalition are very vocal and seemingly being welcomed by Mr. Trump. Yes, they’re publishing the brand of the GOP unlike it’s been published in the last 50 years.
By now it should be abundantly clear that the GOP has implicated itself in promoting racial bigotry and all the denials that they offer simply contradict the branding of their party that is best exemplified by Donald Trump and his coalition of hatred and bigotry. The only hope for the Republican Party is to demonstrate that they are a party of racial tolerance, fairness and equal opportunity. Unfortunately, thus far the deeds of the GOP have branded them in such a way that their word cannot refute it. The GOP has become the David Duke and Donald Trump party. And unless one forgets, David Duke is an avowed racist and the former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. What a brand?
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Peter Grear, Esq. writes for Greater Diversity News with a primary focus on political, social and economic justice. To support our efforts, to unite our politics and economics, please “Like” and follow us atwww.facebook.com/greaterdiversitynews, “Share” our articles and post your ideas and comments on Facebook or at our websites www.GreaterDiversity.com. Finally, please ask all of your Facebook “Friends” to like and follow our page.
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