I can't count the number of times I've heard or read Republicans state during this election cycle, "How did this happen? How did Donald Trump become our nominee? He's not representative of the party!" Sadly, the monster known as Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has been in the making for a number of years, and as far as the modern-day GOP is concerned, he is representative.
Let's first take a look at how Donald Trump has been able to win support through the 2016 election process: 1) Stoking fear about Mexicans; 2) Casting Muslims as terrorists or, at the very least, terrorist sympathizers; 3) Resorting to online conspiracies over fact-checkers debunking said conspiracies; 4) Painting Democrats as criminals; 5) Depicting minorities as moochers; 6) Repeating falsehoods and fallacies; 7) Disrespecting women; 8) Specifics are for suckers; 9) The mainstream media is lame; 10) Failure is spelled c-o-m-p-r-o-m-i-s-e, 11) Symbols over substance; 12) Shout Christ's words, but don't follow his actions, etc.
Look over that list again. Now think back to a time, before Donald Trump's rise within the GOP, when a number of Republican politicians acted in similar ways...
1) Republican politicians may not have referred to Mexicans as "criminals" or "rapists," but they've also tried painting Mexican immigrants in a negative light and attempted to make it increasingly more difficult for such individuals to legally settle here in the United States.
2) "Not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims!" Provide me a name of one non-conservative politician who's uttered this line. Take your time...
3) "Snopes is liberally-biased!" "Factcheck is biased as well!" "Politifact is run by George Soros or something!" "Global warming is a hoax!" "Did you hear this one about Obama admitting he was a radical Kenyan Muslims?!? It has to be a true! My uncle John forwarded the email to me!"
4) "Commies!" "Socialists!" "Marxists!" "Anti-American!" "Not real Americans!" "Anti-patriotism!" "Anti-soldier!" "Traitors!" "Treasonous!" "Anti-freedom!" "Anti-Constitution!" "Tax and spend liberals!"
5) "Lazy!" "Food stamps!" "Welfare!" "Moochers!"
6) Watch Fox News for a half-hour or listen to Rush Limbaugh for 5 minutes and you'll see what I mean...
7) It was quite ironic for so many Republican politicians to have come out against Donald Trump's quote which suggested women should be punished for having abortions. No, I haven't heard any other GOP politician utter such strong words before, but their actions speak similarly. How long have they wanted to overturn the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision? How long have they proposed legislation to provide more obstacles for women to undergo abortions? For how long have such politicians tried making it easier for women to get pregnant, more difficult for them to do away with their pregnancy, more difficult to not fear for job protection during these times, all the while making them feel guilty for engaging in intercourse?
8) While this is just one example, look at the Republican Party's plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). They've repeated the phrase "repeal and replace" ad nauseum since the bill's passing six years ago, yet while they've attempt to repeal it over 50 times (and cost taxpayers millions of dollars in the process), they've yet to provide a specific plan on a potential replacement. This example isn't an aberration. It's more along the lines of a trend, unfortunately, as the GOP has become the party of vagueness (VOP).
9) According to many GOPers, every media outlet outside of conservatively-slanted ones are liberally-biased. This includes everyone from NBC to ABC to CBS to fact-checkers to the Washington Post to the New York Times to comedy shows to Sesame Street and beyond. This is largely why facts are no longer seen as truth. Facts are no longer what can be proven with substantial evidence; facts are simply what one wants to believe, even if their opinion runs contrary to facts.
10) The GOP's #1 goal when Barack Obama was inaugurated as president was to make him a one-term president. When he got reelected, their goal was to make him a lame-duck president. To compromise on anything was seen as a sign of weakness, a sign a Republican wasn't one with the party, and would run them the risk of receiving backlash from conservative media outlets, increasing their odds of being voted out of office come election day. Since Day 1 of Obama's presidency, the GOP has placed party over country.
11) The flag, the cross, bumper-sticker slogans, U.S.A. chants, are seen as powerful, patriotic, as signs one loves their country, yet what are symbols or words without actions to provide them some semblance of credence? What is love if one's actions contradict their vocal expressions to it? Conservative politicians have increasingly taken on the notion that symbolism is of greater importance than action.
12) Similarly, the Republican Party has often branded itself as the party of God, of family values, of Christianity, but their policy positions, words, and actions show otherwise. The GOP has attempted to persuade evangelical voters that they're not one with Christ's teachings if they vote for politicians whom support a woman's right to choose when it comes to abortion and/or for politicians whom support equality for the LGBT community. In the Bible, however, there's no mention of abortion nor of marriage equality for LGBT couples. Then these same supposed "Christ-loving" politicians often showcase minorities in a negative, or at least an inferior light. They present women in a similar manner. They support policies which aid the rich at the expense of the poor. They don't take care of the homeless, even if they risked their lives for this country in war. They don't believe in laws which treat everyone similarly. They'd rather destroy than protect the environment. War is seen as necessary, gun violence is ignored, and fear, as well as hate, trump love.
Many Republicans may still be in denial about the rise of Donald Trump, but he's not an overnight surprise. His nomination was a lengthy process, combining fear, fallacy, denial, and dishonesty. Many Republican politicians may have just seen their speeches as words to rile the base. Many conservative media outlets may have seen themselves as just stirring the pot. But when combining these forces over a 20-30 year span, this is what you get - a monster of the party's making, Donald Trump.
Let's first take a look at how Donald Trump has been able to win support through the 2016 election process: 1) Stoking fear about Mexicans; 2) Casting Muslims as terrorists or, at the very least, terrorist sympathizers; 3) Resorting to online conspiracies over fact-checkers debunking said conspiracies; 4) Painting Democrats as criminals; 5) Depicting minorities as moochers; 6) Repeating falsehoods and fallacies; 7) Disrespecting women; 8) Specifics are for suckers; 9) The mainstream media is lame; 10) Failure is spelled c-o-m-p-r-o-m-i-s-e, 11) Symbols over substance; 12) Shout Christ's words, but don't follow his actions, etc.
Look over that list again. Now think back to a time, before Donald Trump's rise within the GOP, when a number of Republican politicians acted in similar ways...
1) Republican politicians may not have referred to Mexicans as "criminals" or "rapists," but they've also tried painting Mexican immigrants in a negative light and attempted to make it increasingly more difficult for such individuals to legally settle here in the United States.
2) "Not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims!" Provide me a name of one non-conservative politician who's uttered this line. Take your time...
3) "Snopes is liberally-biased!" "Factcheck is biased as well!" "Politifact is run by George Soros or something!" "Global warming is a hoax!" "Did you hear this one about Obama admitting he was a radical Kenyan Muslims?!? It has to be a true! My uncle John forwarded the email to me!"
4) "Commies!" "Socialists!" "Marxists!" "Anti-American!" "Not real Americans!" "Anti-patriotism!" "Anti-soldier!" "Traitors!" "Treasonous!" "Anti-freedom!" "Anti-Constitution!" "Tax and spend liberals!"
5) "Lazy!" "Food stamps!" "Welfare!" "Moochers!"
6) Watch Fox News for a half-hour or listen to Rush Limbaugh for 5 minutes and you'll see what I mean...
7) It was quite ironic for so many Republican politicians to have come out against Donald Trump's quote which suggested women should be punished for having abortions. No, I haven't heard any other GOP politician utter such strong words before, but their actions speak similarly. How long have they wanted to overturn the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision? How long have they proposed legislation to provide more obstacles for women to undergo abortions? For how long have such politicians tried making it easier for women to get pregnant, more difficult for them to do away with their pregnancy, more difficult to not fear for job protection during these times, all the while making them feel guilty for engaging in intercourse?
8) While this is just one example, look at the Republican Party's plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). They've repeated the phrase "repeal and replace" ad nauseum since the bill's passing six years ago, yet while they've attempt to repeal it over 50 times (and cost taxpayers millions of dollars in the process), they've yet to provide a specific plan on a potential replacement. This example isn't an aberration. It's more along the lines of a trend, unfortunately, as the GOP has become the party of vagueness (VOP).
9) According to many GOPers, every media outlet outside of conservatively-slanted ones are liberally-biased. This includes everyone from NBC to ABC to CBS to fact-checkers to the Washington Post to the New York Times to comedy shows to Sesame Street and beyond. This is largely why facts are no longer seen as truth. Facts are no longer what can be proven with substantial evidence; facts are simply what one wants to believe, even if their opinion runs contrary to facts.
10) The GOP's #1 goal when Barack Obama was inaugurated as president was to make him a one-term president. When he got reelected, their goal was to make him a lame-duck president. To compromise on anything was seen as a sign of weakness, a sign a Republican wasn't one with the party, and would run them the risk of receiving backlash from conservative media outlets, increasing their odds of being voted out of office come election day. Since Day 1 of Obama's presidency, the GOP has placed party over country.
11) The flag, the cross, bumper-sticker slogans, U.S.A. chants, are seen as powerful, patriotic, as signs one loves their country, yet what are symbols or words without actions to provide them some semblance of credence? What is love if one's actions contradict their vocal expressions to it? Conservative politicians have increasingly taken on the notion that symbolism is of greater importance than action.
12) Similarly, the Republican Party has often branded itself as the party of God, of family values, of Christianity, but their policy positions, words, and actions show otherwise. The GOP has attempted to persuade evangelical voters that they're not one with Christ's teachings if they vote for politicians whom support a woman's right to choose when it comes to abortion and/or for politicians whom support equality for the LGBT community. In the Bible, however, there's no mention of abortion nor of marriage equality for LGBT couples. Then these same supposed "Christ-loving" politicians often showcase minorities in a negative, or at least an inferior light. They present women in a similar manner. They support policies which aid the rich at the expense of the poor. They don't take care of the homeless, even if they risked their lives for this country in war. They don't believe in laws which treat everyone similarly. They'd rather destroy than protect the environment. War is seen as necessary, gun violence is ignored, and fear, as well as hate, trump love.
Many Republicans may still be in denial about the rise of Donald Trump, but he's not an overnight surprise. His nomination was a lengthy process, combining fear, fallacy, denial, and dishonesty. Many Republican politicians may have just seen their speeches as words to rile the base. Many conservative media outlets may have seen themselves as just stirring the pot. But when combining these forces over a 20-30 year span, this is what you get - a monster of the party's making, Donald Trump.
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