Republican's Rhetoric Rewards Racism...Really!

Is the Republican (hateful) Rhetoric leading to more racism in America?  Let me answer that one for you.  Yes.  

I've known for years that racism and Republicans go together like white hoods and burning crosses, but I figure that many will argue that there is no connection...so let's connect the dots.

First, a disclaimer: Not all Republicans are racists, and not all Democrats aren't.

Okay, now let's first look at racism and hate from the point of view of the Southern Poverty Law Center ("an American nonprofit civil rights organization noted for its legal victories against white supremacist groups; legal representation for victims of hate groups; monitoring of alleged hate groups, militias and extremist organizations; and educational programs that promote tolerance")

The following is a graph from their website showing the decline of White Supremacist groups from '95-'96 to '08, followed by an explosion of groups beginning in 2009.

(image is property of, and licensed by The Southern Poverty Law Center)

The question to ask here is , "why".  In my opinion (and using deductive reasoning) here's "why":  

• From '95-'99, there was a Democratic President in the White House.  (unhappy Republicans=rise in hate groups)
• The drop in these groups began in 1998, coinciding with "impeachment" hearings of President Clinton. (Republicans were happy=hate groups decline)
• Between 2000 and 2008, these numbers were at their lowest. (Republican President=happy Republicans=drop in hate groups)
• In 2009 to present day went up exponentially with a black Democratic President in the White House (Republicans unhappy+black president=boom in hate groups)  

Now, I'm not a statistician, nor am I a sociologist, but if it quacks like a duck, you'd better look for feathers.

Now let's look at the current field of Republican Presidential candidates and how the things they say are racist (not too mention misogynistic, homophobic, etc.). 

• Newt Gingrich - Known for calling President Obama a "food stamp President" and saying he best understood by his "Kenyan anti-colonial behavior", not to mention his infamous "Welfare Queens". 

 

• Rick Santorum - Known for calling President Obama a "snob" (for having and promoting college education), most recently, his comments that residents of Puerto Rican be required to speak English in order for them to be granted statehood, and of course his comment about not wanting "to make black people's lives better by giving them somebody else's money..." 

    

• Willard (Mitt) Romney - Supports a Constitutional Amendment defining marriage as the union between one man and one woman, in what is probably the least overtly racist comment addressed a young black child's jewelry as "bling", and now his pronouncement that he will de-fund Planned Parenthood.

 
 

• Ron Paul - in a 1992 newsletter wrote, "If you've ever been robbed by black teenage male, you know how unbelievably fleet of foot they can be", and many more instances outlined by The Grio:

So how does all of this negative rhetoric effect politics in our country?  

• Just recently, during an NCAA tournament game, racist slurs were chanted by Southern Miss' band toward a Puerto Rican player on Kansas State's team.

• According to Huffington Post and Public Policy Polling, the majority of Republican primary voters in Mississippi and Alabama STILL think President Obama is Muslim:

 

•  And now, fresh of the presses - a new bumper sticker.  One I'm sure people will find amusing, but one that truly underlays just what Republicans want to make this election all about. 

http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/thesideshow/bumpersticker.jpg

  

 Have the proverbial dots been connected for you?

• Rhetoric
• Racism
• Republicans
• Really!