Congratulations on a very well written and researched piece. One thing I disagree with is when you say Tea Party wasn't racist. I was saying it then, and I'll say it again, they absolutely were racist, even if you weren't yet allowed to use that word back then for fear of being accused of "playing the race card." The gaslighting was deep and palpable, and too many failed to stand up to it.
The very anxiety you cite is squarely rooted in all kinds of racist tropes. Even then, there were dog whistles about the great replacement theory. We will never know for sure if Republicans would have behaved that way had the Democrat been white, but given how things unfolded, it's more than safe to say probably not.
These are pretty much the same people who jumped on the Trump Train and embraced MAGA.
To assume the Tea Party was not driven primarily by racism (whether they admit it or not) ignores the rich history of racism that is woven into the very fabric of our country. All you have to do is look at the changes that needed to be made to our Constitution to see it.
Congratulations on a very well written and researched piece. One thing I disagree with is when you say Tea Party wasn't racist. I was saying it then, and I'll say it again, they absolutely were racist, even if you weren't yet allowed to use that word back then for fear of being accused of "playing the race card." The gaslighting was deep and palpable, and too many failed to stand up to it.
The very anxiety you cite is squarely rooted in all kinds of racist tropes. Even then, there were dog whistles about the great replacement theory. We will never know for sure if Republicans would have behaved that way had the Democrat been white, but given how things unfolded, it's more than safe to say probably not.
These are pretty much the same people who jumped on the Trump Train and embraced MAGA.
To assume the Tea Party was not driven primarily by racism (whether they admit it or not) ignores the rich history of racism that is woven into the very fabric of our country. All you have to do is look at the changes that needed to be made to our Constitution to see it.
Racist is as racist does.