Scaring White Folks: It's what Republicans do

Hey, didja hear that Laredo, TX, was invaded over this past weekend? Yeah, apparently a Mexican drug gang stormed the border, invaded two ranches, shot stuff (and people) up, generally terrorized the locals and made a mess of things. It was all over the media…well at least the Right-wing media- Andrew Breitbart, Michelle Malkin, ad nauseum, ad infinitum. It was HORRIBLE….

There was just one little problem with this terrible, horrible, very bad story, though: it didn’t happen. Then again, who cares if it was true or not? Why let the truth get in the way of a great opportunity to scare the easily propagandized? It was a FABULOUS opportunity for the Rabid Right to scare the Hell out of good, God-fearing White Folks. It’s a fact; terrified White Folks tend to vote Republican, and with the midterm elections approaching, it’s never too early to whip up the terror and make sure that White Folks are sufficiently frightened of the evil menace that is…Brown People. Historically, Republicans don’t do well without a big, scary bogeyman. In the ’60s, it was the evil, terrifying specter of Negroes and Communists; today it’s Brown People. I suppose that when you don’t have any actual ideas or policies to offer, fear and loathing will serve as serviceable substitutes…and NO ONE plays that game better than Republicans. Say what you will, but the legacy of Richard Nixon is alive and well…and Republicans honor Nixon daily with their hammering on the threat posed by the Other. Nixon knew that if you can keep the American Sheeple scared and stupid, you can convince them to vote for a ham sandwich.

With factually-challenged Senators like Jon Kyl and John McCain willing to flack Right-wing talking points to death, it seems clear what the overall Republican strategy is for the run-up to November: fear and loathing. Focus on the bogeyman, in this case the Brown People, and keep the Sheeple scared. Stay away from facts, because facts can be inconvenient things not always easily controlled. Hammer on keywords like “crime”, “kidnapping”, “drugs”, and “violence”. Focus like a laser beam on illegal immigration; never mind the fact there’s absolutely no evidence to back up Republican claims of evil, malevolent Brown hordes besieging our border.

You’ll know things are getting REALLY bad when Republicans raise the specter of rape. When they begin talking about protecting the virtue of White women from the randy privations of lusty, perverted Brown men…well, you heard it here first.

Remember, the truth can’t be controlled, and it’s a damn poor way to win an election. If you’re willing to create and control the message (fear and loathing are both tried AND true), you’ll stand a much better chance of winning in November. Truth? That’s for losers and Liberals. Get ‘em angry, keep ‘em angry…and you’ll have a much better chance of making your propaganda message stick.

You can thank me in November.