Since footage of the terrorist attacks in Paris started plastering itself across our computer and television screens, the country—and the rest of the world, at this point—has been engaged in a knock down, drag out battle royale over refugees, terrorists, refugees who might be terrorists, and most notably, the influence and effects of Islamic culture in America.
Everyone—from our grandmas to our long lost high school frienemies to the presidential candidates from both parties—have chimed in with condolences, opinions, and solutions to address the refugee crisis and the rise of radical Islam.
The key word here is radical. By and large, the commentary has centered on how to counter the threat of radical Islamic terrorism on American soil, but even so, the this-or-that-and-nothing-else-type arguments posited by talking heads and politicians have acted as chum in the water for comms shops and operatives looking to update the RAAAAACISM narrative for the 2016 cycle.
It’s been an ugly time on Facebook on Twitter—and the DNC wants you to know that they’re watching. They put out an ad today accusing the Republican presidential candidates of lumping all Muslims together with ISIS and other radical sects. The only problem is, they couldn’t seem to find a single example of a Republican presidential candidate lumping all Muslims together with ISIS and other radical sects.
Watch this nonsense:
Ridiculous. Embarrassing. The stupidity and blatant intellectual dishonesty of this ad makes me hostile. Normally, what the DNC says and does pales in comparison to the follies of the social justice warriors and 60s-era “activist” sect, but this is just too much.
The DNC rails in this ad about “incitement,” saying that inciting fear “isn’t presidential”; the problem is that this very ad attempts to incite more fear than even the most radically offensive, white hood-wearing, backwoods racist could ever hope for.
They don’t want you to be afraid of radical Islamists. They want you to be afraid of Republicans. I’m not sure how this messaging could get any stupider or more opportunistic, but I welcome the comments section to have some fun with it.
Most importantly, as Alex Griswold points out, the DNC may have just alienated their own base:
To begin with, the ad is horribly tone-deaf. I don’t doubt that the decision-makers in the Democratic Party are horrified by the phrase “radical Islam.” But a new poll released today on the issue found that a supermajority of Americans agree that the United States is at war with radical Islam, including 56% of Democratic voters. Only 24% of the country agrees with the president. So right off the bat, the Democratic Party is attacking Republicans for a stance their own voters agree with.But of course, the ad attacked Republicans for just saying “radical Islam,” not saying we’re at war with it. Well, 92% of Americans also say “radical Islamic terrorism” is a serious threat to the United States. But hey, at least the DNC is making inroads with that 8%.To say nothing of the timing behind the ad. Literally any other time of the year, voters might have just rolled their eyes at the unbearable PC-ness of it all. But the DNC ad comes after a series of major terrorist attacks across the globe… and after President Barack Obama gave a speech in response that left the impression that he was more fired up about attacking his domestic critics than taking on ISIS. To attack Republicans for “inciting fear” about radical Islam in the wake of nonstop news about radical Islamic terror is just an unbelievable misfire.
This reeks of desperation. The DNC knows that right now, what Americans want is reassurance. That reassurance may not come out of the mouth of Donald Trump, but it sure as hell isn’t coming out of the gaping maw of the Obama administration. This was a ploy to redraw political battle lines over “racism” and “profiling” and “problematic policies,” but all they’ve done is draw their own supporters right out of the conversation they’re so desperate to lead.
Welcome to slow clap politics.
Follow Amy on Twitter @ThatAmyMiller
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