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Why Do GOP Politicians Obligingly Eat Their Own?
Townhall.com ^ | January 21, 2019 | Sheriff David Clarke (Ret)

Posted on 01/21/2019 5:49:26 AM PST by Kaslin

A political scalping occurred in Washington D.C. last week. Once again the liberal media and Democrats played the predictable race politics to attack Iowa Rep. Steve King, while members of the GOP political class fell in line—obliging the left and piling on one of their own in the act of political cannibalism. It was too enticing a moment for the Republicans who felt the need to morally preen and cleanse themselves of racist perceptions by Democrats and their accomplices in the media.

Republicans should already know how this works. An agenda-driven liberal reporter will interview them about a topic wrought with opportunities to stumble over word choices, and then attack how the response words are arranged to infer what the interviewee allegedly meant. In our modern times, when interviewed by a journalist, the interviewee is at the mercy of the writer’s agenda, unless the interviewee is savvy enough to record it. For example, if a journalist is interviewing a liberal or a Democrat, the writer will smooth things out if they stumble and the outcome is a sparkling and favorable column. Conservatives and Republicans don’t get this swooning cheerleading reaction from the liberal media. Instead, they get sliced, diced, tattooed and fed to the lions.

The goal of the journalist is to draw blood and start a feeding frenzy that spreads like wildfire through the D.C. establishment. Others join in to get their pound of flesh. First, it’s Democrats trying to score some cheap political points and other liberal media outlets in their echo chambers. Then the liberal media reporters seek out Republicans and demand they condemn their colleague. If they don’t condemn in the strongest terms, the liberal media finds them racist by association. Once they get enough momentum from GOP politicians, they stand back and watch Republicans destroy their colleague so they no longer have to.

Knowing this reality, why do GOP politicians volunteer to be the firing squad? Democrats don’t do this. When former Michigan Congressmen John Conyers was discovered to be a serial sexual harasser, Party leader Nancy Pelosi went on the Sunday talk shows and called him an icon. When she was pressed to condemn his behavior, she simply avoided answering the question. When Barack Obama was discovered to have racist Reverend Jeremiah Wright as a spiritual advisor for nearly two decades, the Democrat establishment took the ‘hear no, see no, speak no evil,’ approach about their nominee. Recently Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver reminded colleague Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who was attacking fellow Democrats that, “there’s an outstanding rule, don’t attack your own people. We just don’t need sniping in our Democrat caucus.”

Republicans, on the other hand, get caught up in this game of gotcha every time the media sets the trap. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Rep. Liz Chaney told King to resign. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell advised him to find a new line of work. They believe that if they don’t desperately run to the nearest microphone and slam one of their own in the immediate aftermath of a political hit job, they will be accused of being racist by association. Remember what the media did to President Trump following the Charlottesville Virginia Unite the Right rally? He was blasted for not saying anything immediately. He later did and it was not good enough for the liberal media. When he later came out with a follow-up stronger statement, the media dubbed it as too late, and he was labeled as a racist. The lesson here is that nothing is ever good enough for the liberal media, so why play their game.

However, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott fell for their game. “Some in our Party wonder why we are constantly accused of racism,” Scott said while referring to the New York Times story on Rep. King. I got news for you, Senator Scott. Democrats will accuse you and your Party of being racist whether you are silent or not. It is a political construct that works for them because your Party falls for it. It works because many on the right lack the vocabulary to navigate intelligently through the crap storm the left throws at you, especially on race.

I don’t have to condemn or condone what Rep. King allegedly said. I say allegedly because it was based on a New York Time writer’s account. I would not believe their writers as far as I could throw them. They lie, twist and contort things all the time to smear conservatives. They do it to President Trump every day. And now I’m supposed to believe them? Yeah right.

Here’s my advice about how to handle gotcha question from the liberal media when an ambush is afoot. I simply say, why do I have to comment? I wasn’t there, I didn’t say it and am not responsible for what that politician says. Go ask him or her about it. The media will write that Clarke refuses to condemn racist statements. So what, who cares? If asked if the politician should resign I would say, that is not for me to determine. It’s for the voters he or she represents in their districts. Go ask them. Goodbye. Then I hang up. Don’t allow further questions.

The biggest mistake by Rep. King was to grant an interview to the New York Times. They weren’t interested in his position on any current policy issue. It was a trap knowing that he sometimes says things that come out clumsy and they did what they do to other conservatives and GOP politicians who aren’t extremely careful with every word they say. They eviscerated him; most likely gave each other a high-five, smirked, and laughed at how easy it was to hoodwink him.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: gop; steveking
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1 posted on 01/21/2019 5:49:26 AM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

They are seeking praise from “HATE” media, but it never happens.


2 posted on 01/21/2019 5:51:55 AM PST by CMailBag
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To: Kaslin

Well, you can say one thing for Pelousi, she does keep her minions in line. When do Dems EVER criticize one of their own?? NEVER! It’s only stupid Republicans who think they will win favor with the Media, Hollywood, etc., that pile on their own. Virtue-signaling at it’s worst!


3 posted on 01/21/2019 5:52:13 AM PST by originalbuckeye ('In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act'- George Orwell.)
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To: Kaslin

Republicans always shoot their wounded while Democrats circle the wagons to protect. Never figured out why? Guess R’s want to be the white hats.


4 posted on 01/21/2019 5:53:35 AM PST by griswold3 (Just another unlicensed nonconformist in a dangerous Liberal world.)
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To: Kaslin

Why? Because they truly are the Stupid Party. Nobody is going to love them because of eating their own, including their own.


5 posted on 01/21/2019 6:08:18 AM PST by Hartlyboy
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To: Kaslin

Well one day they will run out of their own to eat, and then they will be gone.

And they will not be missed.


6 posted on 01/21/2019 6:09:27 AM PST by chris37 (No wall? No vote.)
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To: griswold3

Guess R’s want to be the white hats.

*****************

That is probably one reason. They naively believe the media will one day herald them for their moral courage but it NEVER happens. The Dems and their allies in the media exploit every instance of Republican weakness.

The fundamental problem is that we elect (and re-elect) feckless politicians instead of leaders who focus on producing results or advancing the conservative agenda. Instead they spend their time looking for ways to appease the liberals and foolishly eating their own. Until that changes, nothing will change.

((We really do need a new party. How many decades does it take to realize that the GOP is never going to fight for us. It is a soulless party content with being led and manipulated.))


7 posted on 01/21/2019 6:11:43 AM PST by Starboard
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To: Kaslin

Because of dishonest editing of the New York Slimes, Rep King is a waycist. The lib/commies need to raise this spectre because their constant lying hasn’t really dented the Republicans. Republicans must be made out to be white racists, including David Webb (who happens to be black).


8 posted on 01/21/2019 6:11:51 AM PST by Stepan12 (potus)
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To: Hartlyboy
Why? Because they truly are the Stupid Party. Nobody is going to love them because of eating their own, including their own.

***************

They are the WEAK and Stupid Party.

9 posted on 01/21/2019 6:13:19 AM PST by Starboard
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To: Kaslin

Sheriff Clarke....Not too many republican politicians are as smart as you...In fact, not many politicians period, are as smart...


10 posted on 01/21/2019 6:13:46 AM PST by JBW1949 (I'm really PC....PATRIOTICALLY CORRECT!!!!)
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To: Hartlyboy
I would be more sympathetic to this point of view if republicans like King didn’t casually shoot off their mouth as if the snake holding the mic was a reasonable good guy and the rest of the media would be reasonable as well.

Every GOP politician should approach every interview with the MSM as if they were entering a hostile deposition. Everything you say can and will be used against you.

11 posted on 01/21/2019 6:15:12 AM PST by hinckley buzzard (Power is more often surrendered than seized.)
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To: griswold3
Republicans always shoot their wounded while Democrats circle the wagons to protect. Never figured out why? Guess R’s want to be the white hats.

Democrats know that stonewalling won't cost them any votes. Republicans think that keeping quiet when somebody on their side misspeaks will hurt them with voters.

When Democrats were the clear majority party they had more internal divisions. Now they figure they have to stay closely together to win.

Democrats have a hard time admitting that they could be wrong. Republicans are more conflicted, and yes, they want to be the white hats.

12 posted on 01/21/2019 6:16:49 AM PST by x
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To: Stepan12

Republicans could stand up and refuse to listen to this nonsense. The could push back hard and stand their ground. When attacked by the name callers and liberal pundits they could fire back at the jackals.

But they won’t. Republicans are never on offense. They always play defense.


13 posted on 01/21/2019 6:18:58 AM PST by Starboard
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To: Kaslin

One or two may have actually been outraged by King’s statement. The rest simply felt the need to posture to the liberal media and their liberal colleagues. This is something liberals never feel the need to do - they do not ever try to appease conservatives. But the GOP has a streak of yellow, and that streak comes out as a pathetic need to demonstrate that they aren’t nearly as terrible as the liberals keep saying they are.


14 posted on 01/21/2019 6:21:37 AM PST by AnotherUnixGeek
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To: Starboard

So where are you going to get these masses in sufficient numbers to win an election. We have the only framework right here. Buck up what we have. We condemn the actions of the cowards and make it the right thing to do to fight aggressively the left. Never, ever apologize to the left.


15 posted on 01/21/2019 6:26:12 AM PST by Wm F Buckley Republican (?)
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To: Kaslin

They aren’t called “the Stupid Party” for nothing.


16 posted on 01/21/2019 6:27:08 AM PST by Kozak (DIVERSITY+PROXIMITY=CONFLICT)
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To: AnotherUnixGeek

Exactly.


17 posted on 01/21/2019 6:27:24 AM PST by Wm F Buckley Republican (?)
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To: Kaslin

It is a common practice with conservatives. Even FR is regularly seasoned with intolerance among its members.


18 posted on 01/21/2019 6:32:02 AM PST by GingisK
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To: Hartlyboy

Why? Because they truly are the Stupid Party. Nobody is going to love them because of eating their own, including their own.


They are careerists whose true ideology is progressive corportism. They have adopted “conservative” personas to get elected. It’s all political theater.


19 posted on 01/21/2019 6:35:43 AM PST by lodi90
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To: Kaslin

The GOP is hated by their voters because
they lied, lie, and know they will continue to lie.

The GOP thinks they ONLY have the MSM to preen before.

But they are blind. Most of America
wants them decimated for attacking the ELECTED
PRESIDENT and lying to the voters.


20 posted on 01/21/2019 6:38:30 AM PST by Diogenesis ( WWG1WGA)
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