Building a platform on hate and fear

'Murica? We give you the Texas GOP

If all you offer is fear and hate, your political party is on life support and frankly, the kindest thing would be unplugging.

The recent Texas Republican state convention gives us a glimpse of what’s to come as a once-proud (I’m thinking the gentleman below) political party implodes.

Pres. Lincoln is crying, y’all.

At that gathering, held last weekend, members of the gun-totin’, gay hatin’ ignorant-ass GOP:

• Flying in the face of all science everywhere, called homosexuality an “abnormal lifestyle choice

• Flying in the face of 60+ court cases and reality, embraced the Big Lie

• Snarling simply because they could, rebuked Sen. John Cornyn for working on bipartisan gun legislation

• Taking their marching orders from the Cosmically Constipated Tucker Carlson, called Rep. Dan Crenshaw “Eyepatch McCain” and “globalist RINO.” (Rep. Crenshaw? You’re no John McCain, eyepatch or no.)

This looks like a reaction to demographic shifts in a state that is becoming far more diverse and far less conservative. As The Washington Post reported last year:

Preservation is the first law of nature, said Albert Kauffman, a professor at St. Mary’s University School of Law. “I think a lot of [Republicans] look at the demographics and say, ‘We might not have more than four or six or eight more years in control so we probably ought to put in as many mechanisms as we can to protect ourselves long-term.’”

That linked story is worth reading.

I like to think the glass is half-full. Historically, we see more racist/hateful behavior when someone(s) starts to foment fear about such demographic changes. We’re seeing it here in Connecticut, with an increase in white supremacists’ recruitment attempts. But take heart. The best antidote to hate is love, and a shit-ton of political effort to unseat elected officials who support this crap — or who stay silent, which is supporting this crap. As my friend Jim says:

Get busy, y’all.