,
5 tweets,
1 min read
Read on Twitter
1. A very common hot take is that Trump's go-back-to-where-you-came-from comments is smart politics, it moves the conversation from policy to identity, rallies the base, etc. I don't buy it.
2. Element of truth here is that racism probably does help keep the GOP base together. It's a dominance politics move whereby people like McConnell and Graham have to defend Trump. When he's attacked, GOP voters do seem to rally to him. But GOP voters aren't whole electorate
3. Trump's racism is polarizing rather than just good for him. There's every reason to think from recent elections (including 2016) that the Democrat's multi-racial coalition is larger than Trump's white nationalist coalition. Especially clear in post-2016 elections.
4. Trumpian racism has in fact been on the ballot quite a bit. Remember Ed Gillespie ranting about MS-13 in Virginia. Trounced. Remember the migrant caravan & troops at the border in 2018? Result was a Democratic wave election.
5. Trump's racism rallies the GOP, but anti-racism also rallies the Dems (getting even Pelosi to lay off the Squad). If the Dems stay united, they can defeat Trump's racism. A more detailed analysis here: thenation.com/article/trump-…
