This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on ATL Redline.
We don’t have reliable polls on exactly how many racists there are in America. There are reams of legal definitions out there pertaining to racism and discrimination, but actual racists tend to resist self-identifying as such. And racists are good at rationalizing away their own biases; nobody who ends up on @YesYoureRacist thinks they deserve to be there.
A racist supported by “shame”?
But with Donald Trump, we have a guy running for president whose entire platform, essentially, is racism. He’s racist towards Mexicans, he’s racist towards Muslims. He was racist towards Jews at a Jewish event, which takes some hutzpah. And when he’s not being racist, he’s being sexist.
This is not a controversial opinion. The mainstream media has been happy to call Trump a racist and a bigot. Other Republican candidates have even called him a bigot.
And yet the people who support this recognized bigot largely get a pass from a media obsessed with “understanding” them. The media, desperately almost, tries to give race-neutral reasons for Trump’s supporters. Here’s USA Today saying Trump supporters “are hankering for a bare-knuckle fighter.” The Chicago Tribune calls Trump supports “disaffected moderates” who are sick of the two-party system. And here’s this takeaway from GQ:
“[T]he grim undercurrent of his rise is SHAME. After all, if you believe we must make America great again, then you must also believe that America, at the present moment, sucks. And pretty much everyone at the Trump picnic believed that America sucks.”
Or… maybe, just maybe, everyone at that picnic is a racist. Why is that so unfair? Why do we feel the need to explain support for a racist in non-racial terms? We’ve seen the polls showing that Trump supporters overwhelming support biased policies. We’ve read the stories about Trump events turning violent on minorities. I think we’re dealing with something a little more potent than “shame.”
Hollow explanations
There are Republicans all across the map that are better poised to capitalize on Trump’s supposed non-racist strengths. Chris Christie is a bare-knuckle fighter who speaks without artifice. Rand Paul is a disaffected third party candidate in a two-party system. Mike Huckabee thinks America’s failings are moral. Mike Bloomberg is a successful businessman who wanted to make America rich again.
The one thing that Trump has that those other candidates do not is unabashed racism. It’s not a bug, as they say; it’s the central feature of his candidacy. For years, Republicans have been dog whistling at the racists in their base, letting them know they are there for them and agree with them without risking a “racism” charge in the press. All Trump is doing is swallowing his whistle and voicing his racism plainly.
There is no deeper angle here. There is no complicated story. If Trump’s supporters weren’t racist, they’d support some other guy. Some guy who believes in most of what Trump believes, without the, you know…actual racism.
Some of the media’s resistance stems from an inability to truly believe that there are so many racists left out there. We’re talking about anywhere from a quarter to a third of the Republican electorate. You’ll hear people say that Trump is appealing to “a few” supremacists. People—especially white people, but there are pockets in every group—like to think hardcore, inveterate, “I think there is a link between skin color and abilities” racists are a dying and isolated breed.
But those people have mistaken changing a taboo for changing hearts and minds. It’s no longer “politically correct” to say racist things, but in much of the country it’s still just fine to actually be racist. Or sexist. And until quite recently in the grand scheme of things, homophobia was cool everywhere except San Francisco and New York (and maybe a couple others…Austin?). Trump is the first candidate since racism became taboo to give the racists somebody to vote for who doesn’t make them feel bad for being racist.
And there are a lot of racists out there. In a way, we should thank Trump. He is baiting the racists into self-identifying. If you see a Trump supporter on your Facebook feed, consider acting accordingly.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Avvo.
Image courtesy of: a katz / Shutterstock.com
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10 comments
Dozie Offiaeli
Is immigration official above the law? My small family has been on immigration case for over tens years for a fault that was not ours. It took the department more than seven years to give my wife green card, June of 2015, she went for her citizenship exam passed, she was told to wait to be invited for citizenship ceremony to no avail, after two months my small family became disturbed, we scheduled appointment to go to the office here in Oklahoma to our dismay we were told that unfortunately my wife case was selected for more scrutiny. It was baffling to us to say the least why my wife records is the one that comes up for more scrutiny starting from her green card to citizenship. If they are suspecting my family let the department come out and say it, I think the problem was and is we are blacks and poor therefore my family is now an escape goat of whatever that is going on in the department. Not all Muslims and not all Christians are terrorist, we are proud christian, and I have been a US-citizen for more than twenty years without any criminal records that is why we are totally and absolutely confused why the stress. Since my wife came over in November 2012 we now have three children ranging from five, eight and nine years old all born in USA.The reason why we are treated as such is beyond our understanding and we couldn’t make out any sense of it.
Cited from: Is immigration actually bad for the United States? | The Avvo NakedLaw Blog http://nakedlaw.avvo.com/freedom/is-immigration-actually-bad-for-the-united-states.html#ixzz3vRUc34Ps
Richard
Elie Mystal, the author of this article, is a TRUE racist. He should be ashamed of his race-baiting and cowardly tactics towards those who strongly disagree with him and to challengers to his point of view.
Tom
No logic, no examples cited, and if he had referenced history, you'd see racism replete in the Democratic Party, You'd also see Republican opposition the whole time. So is this what the hell Harvard turns out?
John
The world has no clue what we are facing here. Clueless politicians are destroying this blessed nation. Christians are treated as third class people. Muslims are given higher priorities. Christians feel intimidated and if they wish "Merry Christmas" they are branded as religious bigots. But Islamic ideology is being taught in some public schools. We have a president who was "elected by the world" who is so pro-islamic, that he refuses to use the term "islamic terrorists. His would be successor Hillary too says, "it is racial profiling." This time our plea to the world is, "Please do not elect a president for our country." We will do it ourselves. We want to give Trump, the non-politician a chance.
Outrageous
Not at all. Most people say what Trump is saying. The media refuses to allow the truth to be heard.
Rick Samara
I stumbled upon this article while doing some research on Avvo for one of my attorney clients. Your article is certainly biased and you're no doubt firmly in someone's liberal camp. As Dr. Ben Carson just said on CNN, ...liberals are much more focused on race than are Republicans. It lacks objectivity, Otherwise, how and why can you accuse Trump and the entire Republican Party as racist? As an Independent, I find your article offensive. I voted for President Obama in the last election. It's articles like this that flame the furor of racism in our country. You are clearly using the race card to support your argument. As a retired military officer, I appreciate your First Amendment Rights. I just wonder why you use them if such a non-discriminant manner.
Lone45
"Anti Muslim" is not racist. "Muslim" is not a race, it's a religion. This entire article is nothing more than hateful, race baiting propaganda.
Jackson
Muslim is a race now? Wow, the more you know.
Josh
I kept thinking how shallow this article was and then it all made sense when I read the guy was an online provocateur. Ding ding ding!
bob
The author of this article on Trump is just another sore loser , trying to take down Trump .
Trump will win get over it !