The GOP Staged a Racist Clown Show at Supreme Court Nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson's Confirmation

[babylonsister]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/gops-racist-clown-show-at-supreme-court-nominee-ketanji-brown-jacksons-confirmation-hearings?ref=scroll

Opinion
The GOP Staged a Racist Clown Show at Supreme Court Nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Confirmation Hearings
DITCHING THE DOG WHISTLE
Republicans didn’t even bother dog whistling today. They just went straight to the racist attacks against the first Black woman Supreme Court nominee.
Wajahat Ali
Updated Mar. 23, 2022 3:53AM ET / Published Mar. 22, 2022 8:02PM ET

snip//

It’s all ugly theater of the absurd, but that’s exactly the point. This is red meat for the conservative base, which has been increasingly radicalized and fed a steady diet of conspiracy theories and lies that deliberately and inaccurately redefine CRT as a pernicious ideology unleashed by the deep state to teach our children to be anti-white, anti-democratic, Marxist sex criminals.

snip//

The reason the GOP is blatantly resorting to racism is because they have no other case. They can’t attack Jackson on her actual record without lying. And as Tucker Carlson tried a few weeks ago by asking for the judge’s LSAT scores, they can’t honestly flame her academic achievements either. They can’t get her on temperament, as evidenced by her restraint, calmness, and professionalism during Sen. Cruz’s bad faith, racist questions.

The GOP is obviously soft on racism—I mean, two sitting members of Congress spoke at a white nationalist conference and were met with tepid condemnation by party leadership, who quickly changed the subject back to CRT panic.

Denying what is obvious to any Black woman in this country, conservatives insist the only “real racists” are grade-school teachers reading Antiracist Baby.

But the GOP’s coordinated effort today—both on social media and at the first Black woman Supreme Court nominee’s Senate hearing—proves definitively that racism is a vital plank on the Republican Party’s platform.

[Evergreen Emerald]

1. During Cruz's opening speech on Monday

He actually asked if she could treat all people equally without consideration of race. Has he EVER asked a white person that question? Ever? Where is his tiki torch?

[Lovie777]

2. GQP ....

that is who they are, even the only Black GQP senator probably enjoyed it.

[Docreed2003]

3. Their actions and words show who they truly are and what they truly believe

In their worldview, the most qualified nominee somehow becomes an unqualified token, purely because of her race and gender, and if they acknowledge her seat at the table somehow that puts their white, male dominated worldview at risk. That same irrational behavior is magnified in their base who fears anything that challenges their lily white idyllic lives & these so called leaders are brazenly pandering to those fears. If you want to understand why this country is so divided, look no further than the actions of these GOP senators and then understand that this same message is being echoed at every level of government down to city councils and proclaimed from many pulpits on Sunday. There is no compromise with these types because they see their view and actions as right and to compromise would put everything they believe in at risk.

[evolves]

14. Agree, Doc, but would argue

Last edited Wed Mar 23, 2022, 10:23 AM - Edit history (1)

that the racist base of the GOP mostly don't live "idyllic" lives. Most of them are marginalized, poor, under-employed, with poor healthcare, and living hardscrabble lives. Being white is quite literally all they have. In their minds, it is the only thing that redeems them. To see a highly intelligent, highly educated, poised and polished Black woman in a position of power and authority is a slap in the face to them. They think she is undeserving, regardless of her credentials and accomplishments, because they think THEY deserve what she has and is because they are white, and for no other reason. They are mad as hell that "the system" is stacked against them, but don't have the critical thinking skills required to see that the people they continue to vote for are the ones conning them and keeping them marginalized, poor, etc.

[wnylib]

18. You nailed it perfectly.

That is a spot on description of working class white Republicans and Trumpists. It overlaps into middle class whites who resent educated, qualified Blacks and other minorities getting hired for or promoted to positions that were once held almost exclusively by Whites.

When I was growing up in the 1950s and into the 1960s, the majority of working class people were Democrats, including nearly all of the South regardless of class, due to the Civil War. But when Kennedy and Johnson promoted integration and the Civil Rights bill, those people deserted the Democratic party and became Reagan Republicans. Reagan welcomed them with racist dog whistles and Jerry Falwell's Christian Coalition aligned themselves with Reagan's "true Americans."

"Government is the problem" was a euphemism for "Government enforcement of integration and civil rights is the problem." Every Reagan voter understood that perfectly.

[Docreed2003]

31. That's very true as well

That mentality is pervasive for sure, especially in rural areas with poor, undereducated populace, but it seems just as strong in the suburbs here in Tennessee. I'm sure it's the same in your area of the state as well, evolves.

[evolves]

36. I agree-- there's plenty of lily-white idyllism, too.

I'm in the blue dot in the sea of red, but did see signs for TFG in the yards of several tall&skinnies in my neighborhood (Jim Cooper's district). Those are the people living the idyllic lives, and who vote R not only because it helps keep their bank account fat and their 401k thriving (for now), but also because they think Black people should perpetually be "the help" and beholden to them, not autonomous, successful individuals in their own right.

[Docreed2003]

37. We're practically neighbors

For some reason I was thinking you were in Chattanooga or East TN!

[gab13by13]

4. I only watched for an hour,

I saw racism on display. She has the votes so I turned the clown show off.

I was intrigued by Lyndsey's question of Jackson rating how religious she was. Lyndsey most likely rates himself a 10 just like the Pharisees and Sadducees did back in the day.

[GB_RN]

7. They Didn't Bother With The Safety Of The Usual Dog Whistle Racism...

It was on blatant display from Raphael “Ted” sCruz-ball (R-Batshit Crazy), “Tehran Tom” Cotton (R-Israel), and Josh “Hee-Hawley” (R-Treason Weasel).

[True Blue American]

10. Lindsey said he only went to Church 3

Times a year. That would be Christmas and Easter, wonder what the third one was?
She answered that was not in her jobs description!

What do they hope to gain by showing their ignorance?

[wnylib]

19. Third occasion in church - Robert E Lee's birthday.

[True Blue American]

22. Never thought of that!:)

Thank you, dear Sir!

[wnylib]

23. You are welcome, from MS. wnylib, not Mr.

[True Blue American]

25. Samie here!'

Sorry.

Need to tell this. Al Franken said Lindsey was a shop lifter. He was with him, saw him do it!

PS! SPELL CHECK gave the Frankenstein!

[Marthe48]

5. I can't imagine be subjected to the vitriol EVERY DAY

as people of color are. Judge Jackson is well-prepared and equipped to face the poison of the racists, with extreme dignity and aplomb. Anyone who watches the elisit, racist bigots question her and feel proud of this playground inquistion, are with doubt, are broken humans.

[Pepsidog]

6. Republicans are certainly a cruel and immoral party. Your comments are, as always, spot on.

[GB_RN]

8. For The GOPQ Since tRump...

Cruelty has been a feature, not a bug. In fact, cruelty has been the point. Prior to Agent Orange, it was merely a feature among the fringier nut bags. But then the inmates took over the asylum.

[Pepsidog]

21. I agree. No more hiding their cruel and morally bankrupt ideology, they wear it proud.

[BumRushDaShow]

9. I am glad that not only she

but Durbin, Whitehouse, and Hirono handed their asses to them, to the point where after Cruz's chart was publicly ridiculed and shown to be false, he had a temper tantrum (triggering the others to chime in) reflecting his own arrogance, ineptness, and laziness in actually doing real research (including reading an article in the Washington Post that had the info that he naturally omitted but that torpedoed his whole schtick).

And as a note - she and Cruz were in the same graduating class at Harvard so she very much knows who and what he is.

[PatrickforB]

12. You know, about Ted Cruz, and Josh Hawley for that matter, they SHOULD

know better. They should. Cruz graduated from Harvard, and Hawley from Stanford and then Yale Law School. I mean, WTF? These guys really ought to have a sense of what is right and what is not.

I mean, idiots like Gohmert, Bats**t Boebert, and Margery 'Traitor' Greene don't - they are just plain stupid. And mean.

Now stupid and mean is a bad combination. It is.

But to be intelligent, well educated and as scummy as Cruz and Hawley - that is downright EVIL.

[BumRushDaShow]

16. You can add the loon Tom Cotton to that list too

(Harvard Law)

They are the type of scum that I am sure their classmates snickered about regarding their bloated self-important arrogance.

[PatrickforB]

17. Yes, Cotton is truly despicable. n/t

[Buckeyeblue]

11. I watched the round with Cotton...I was taken aback by how blatantly racist it was

His body language, his demeanor, using the word drug kingpin over and over. And yet, she provided a really good legal explanation with regard to how the system works.

It's interesting how little these senators seem to understand criminal law. They aren't used to judges who have real world experience. She not only has the experience, she is really good at explaining how the laws that congress makes actually work.

[PatrickforB]

13. Tom Cotton is yet another racist jerk.

These Republicans utterly disgust me. In fact, they should disgust any decent person.

[wnylib]

20. I think they understand criminal law

very well, well enough to know exactly how to deliberately distort their representations of it.

[LymphocyteLover]

15. Yes, that is EXACTLY what they did and their base loves it and they will probably still

win elections because their base is completely rotten and racist

[True Blue American]

24. Could we bring back the Gong Show!

Lindsey is such a horse patooty! Usual fake tantrum.

I did notice he had pancake make up on. Got too close to the TV!

[BumRushDaShow]

26. Or

[True Blue American]

27. I really hoped Durbin would do that but he allowed

Lindsey to just keep brow beating her and interrupting her I saw her look at Durbin.

All they doll is was complain about how bad Kavanaugh was treated. He was accuse d of a crime, just like Thomas and look what we have.

[BumRushDaShow]

28. I agree

Durbin waited too long to finally shut him down when he went past time while continuing to refuse to allow her to answer.

I do think this was due to the last 3 SCOTUS hearings, although the Judiciary Committee then was controlled by the GOP and they had more members on it.

But I also think it is a rewind back 30 years ago to Thomas' hearing and Anita Hill.

[True Blue American]

29. Most of their tantrums were fake and planned.

. The guy behind Cruz is trying hard not to laugh. There is nothing in her background like Kavanaugh

[BumRushDaShow]

32. They were doing their best "Gymsuit" Jordan

[True Blue American]

34. And Lindsey had pancake

Makeup on! I got too close to the TV.

[BumRushDaShow]

35. ...

He was an absolute ass. But then all of them were... although Sasse was about as less extreme as they get on that panel, including admitting that his own colleagues perform a clown show for soundbites due to the cameras (that big duh moment was slid in during his reference to support of having cameras in the SCOTUS courtroom).

[The Mouth]

30. It's all payback for Bork

[BumRushDaShow]

33. Not just Bork

but Clarence Thomas and the "pubic hair on the Coke can" (note that is what Cruz was drinking earlier) and "Long Dong Silver".

[MotorCityBeard]

38. To paraphrase the original Hairspray movie

“I watch [those "senators"] and I'm embarrassed to be white.”