No shame. But you knew that.
The right is addicted to daily outrage like a meth addict to crank. It is the fuel without which Tucker Carlson has no show and the Matt Gaetzes cannot show out. There is no close-up magic artistry to it. That their daily performances of outrage are strained and obvious is of no more concern than a dope-slap is to fans of the Three Stooges. Subtlety is not part of the shtick. But gas stoves?
The GOP once felt obliged to dog-whistle its prejudices. But that was pre-Trump. Nowadays MAGAs wear their animus on tee shirts or fly it from the back of a white Dodge Ram.
That said, a whispering campaign on the part of the GOP against one of their own almost evokes nostalgia for the Karl Rove-era (Politico):
As Harmeet Dhillon seeks the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee, opponents have begun raising concerns about her Sikh faith — a development that has left some members of the committee unsettled.
Two supporters of Dhillon, who is challenging incumbent RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, told POLITICO that McDaniel allies have brought up Dhillon’s religious affiliation with them in recent weeks. One of the two said that a fellow RNC committee member, who is openly supporting McDaniel in the race, brought up concerns about Dhillon’s “Sikh faith” during a recent phone conversation. That person was granted anonymity to discuss the matter.
The topic has become so buzzed about that Dhillon herself has been forced to address it publicly, this week retweeting RNC members who condemned those drawing negative attention to her religious affiliation.
McDaniel is a Mormon and “wholeheartedly condemn[s] religious bigotry in any form.”
The focus on Dhillon’s faith hasn’t just come from people supporting McDaniel. In an email sent to an RNC member on Sunday, a purported supporter of “MyPillow” CEO Mike Lindell, who is also running for committee chair, brought up Dhillon’s religion as an issue. The copy of the email, which was provided to POLITICO with the sender’s name redacted, urged the recipient to support Lindell, an “ardent Christian conservative.”
“She is an Indian Sikh by birth and heritage, Not of Judeo-Christian worldview,” the emailer wrote of Dhillon. “None of these core character positions aligns with the Republican Party Platform, planks, or conservatism in general.”
Reached for comment, Lindell told POLITICO to “shove it.”
In a statement to POLITICO, Dhillon called it “hurtful to learn that a handful of RNC members, in a close race for RNC chair, have chosen to question my fitness to run the RNC by using my devout Sikh faith as a weapon against me.”
Has Dhillon spent any time with members of her own party? Has she appeared with Carlson and seen how the her allies play? (She has.)
But if there’s something Republicans cannot abide more than people of non-Christian faiths who don’t know their place, it’s a loser. Trump’s star is on the wane and McDaniel’s reelection is in jeopardy.
Chris Horn, a GOP commentator in the state and chair of Alabama’s Tennessee Valley Republican Club, is not on the steering committee but has openly supported McDaniel’s reelection. While acknowledging that Dhillon has the right to practice her faith, he defended Republicans who are seeking information about Dhillon’s religious beliefs. He said he is concerned Dhillon would cut existing RNC programs targeting Protestant, Catholic and Jewish voters — something Dhillon has not proposed doing.
“People aren’t bigots because they ask questions,” Horn said. “That’s a legit question: Is the Republican Party, or even the Democratic Party ready for someone of the Sikh faith?
“If someone from another faith wants to be the leader of our party, then you’re going to be the leader of tens of millions of Christians. And there’s not been any conversation about that at all,” Horn added. “That’s just the fact of the matter.”
Come on, Chris. Just come out and say it.