My friend at the Washington Post gets to something very important here
Quote:Donald Trump completed his takeover of the GOP last night, officially securing the nomination — on an evening, fittingly enough, that was ostensibly about the economy but devolved at times into angry chants about throwing Hillary Clinton in prison.
Such talk is common among Republicans and GOP-aligned media elites, of course. Much of the time it’s mainly about supplying care and feeding to a GOP base. But this time, the chants of “lock her up” hinted at something more. Tellingly, they came amid increasing signs that Republicans think they are going to lose this election, which suggests that this might also represent an effort — perhaps only intended at this point in the dimmest of ways — to delegitimize Clinton’s presidency in advance, should she win.
http://wapo.st/29TwOWi
Read the whole intro to his blog post this morning because he fleshes this out rather more completely.
Greg, and Brian Beutler who he quotes, get this exactly right. This is the style of modern GOP political strategy. It is consistent, thus completely predictable. Obama is a Muslim, Obama was not born in the USA - such narratives have the aim of de-legitimizing Obama as President.
Here's another example. Several months ago, a neoconservative writing an op ed in the Post included the following sentences...
Quote:"Even if a third candidacy still yielded a Clinton Victory, it would be worthwhile. It would, first, deny the Clinton Campaign the illusion of a mandate from American voters who would have, en masse, turned out to reject Trump"
Note that Greg steps gingerly here and does not make the claim that such a strategy was in place except in the "dimmest" sort of manner. I think he's right to forward the point as he has. Those people yelling, "Lock her up!" aren't working from some careful strategy setting up for 2018 or 2020. They are just manifesting a mindset and a zest for demonization of the opponent in the crudest and stupidest ways.
But this sort of rhetoric, this sort of thinking, will continue after Hillary is elected. "Investigations" will continue. Old and new scandals will be cooked up or reheated. Obstruction will be constant and unflagging. Is it possible that what was done with Garland will be attempted with any and every other Supreme Court nominee? Yes, it is possible to likely even though there is no precedent for a such a thing.
And the fundamental narrative/rationale for such destructive and anti-democratic behavior will be what Greg points to - that Hillary or Obama or any Dem occupying the White House will be there without legitimacy. This is axiomatic. Liberal or progressive policies and their political representatives are no longer legitimately American. What American voters conclude is irrelevant. They are (they must necessarily be) by axiomatic formulation, hoodwinked and deluded.
The cover story (aside from the claims and statements meant to de-legitimize Hillary or whomever) is that as a matter of morals, ethics and principles, the Dem holding the office MUST BE STOPPED so that America does not come to ruin and collapse. Conservatives are thus obliged to wield whatever weapons might be at their disposal to prevent this catastrophe to America and Western civilization.