Mika Brzezinski characterized yesterday’s rally at Madison Square Garden as one “normalizing hatred” – the ultimate display of what some always assumed to be the MAGA movement’s underlying zeitgeist, racism. Even many on the right are viscerally rejecting many aspects of Sunday’s New York rally, including the Trump campaign itself, which has walked back its support of putrid comedian Tony Hinchcliffe and his racist comments. Now, though – there are questions as to whether this event itself could cost Trump the election, coming at such a crucial point.
There are many who believe that the long-scheduled Madison Square Garden rally was put on the calendar at the exact right time to conjure up dark images of the past – the racist 1939 Nazi party rally in the same location. It was thought that this rally was to be the cherry on top of a successful Trump campaign run, a return to its roots, so to speak, with hatred on prominent display, the cruelty being the point then and always will be now. But with the rally in the rear-view mirror it looks like it may have overshot the mark such that the raw reaction might cost Trump the election – at least by the numbers, if not result.
Meghan McCain – who inexplicably now supports the man who eviscerated her father and his memory – believes that the rally might cost Trump a victory. From reporting by Rawstory:
“I actually think this rally could backfire. How is this winning over moderates and independents exactly? This is maga on steroids. It’s a pretty significant and inconvenient demographic you actually need to win – and they don’t freebase maga kool aid every morning.”
How interesting. One doesn’t get references to the suburban mom vote adjoined with “freebasing kool aid” very often. So, according to McCain, at that point when the Trump movement was at its worst, whether intentionally or due to the extremism of some guests, it doesn’t misrepresent MAGA. No – it’s MAGA on “steroids,” or “super-strength MAGA,” MAGA-Extreme. When bad it is “more MAGA” not “MAGA-less” or MAGA misunderstood. It is understood too well, the quiet part is said out loud, the wink comes with a laugh, and the unspoken thought is printed on a waved-banner.
She is right, though. This election is as 50-50 as it gets, with ABC News 538.com stating that Donald Trump wins 52 times out of 100 cycles. In such a coin flip dynamic, one wants to put their best face forward – not the most extreme. Both parties should be welcoming moderates who might’ve otherwise stayed away. The final few days are about coaxing out the final middle votes – not acting so extreme as to drive 3-5 percentage points of your base out, which could happen.
CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Evan Gold said, according to Rawstory:
“You actually think Americans won’t respond positively to a Nazi rally? It’s always been about the racism. It’s never been about any policy other than racism. Trump’s campaign is over. This the swan song. Done. Fini,”
Wrong, wrong, wrong! I am sick of this. MAGA has a ton of racial animosity but it’s not built on racism. No, it is more encompassing. It is based on hatred alright, but based on hating liberals and liberalism – that is the lifeforce propelling the MAGA movement. One’s race really doesn’t matter. A black man is absolutely welcome at a MAGA rally, so long as he hates liberals as much as them.
Why is it about hating liberals? Because Trump supporters aren’t liberals! Ultimately, “MAGA on steriods” is a celebration of self-love, loyalty to the tribe, it’s about appreciating themselves – not explaining themselves to you (liberal)! And damn do they love that. Either you are in – a Trump voter – or you’re hated, nothing more complicated. It is a continuous positive feedback loop in unrequited love of itself, cycling, and cycling, held up only long enough to spit at those outside the movement, from that point, hence – “liberals.”
In such a culture, everything outside the red-hat is liberal: the New York Times is liberal, the American Medical Association is liberal, the NFL is liberal, Twitter used to be liberal, X is free speech and MAGA, pens are liberal, lost dogs are liberal, everything bad is “liberal” and everything liberal is bad. If you have to ask, you aren’t MAGA – you’re a liberal, period. Have some breadsticks and shut up.
None of this will hurt Trump in the polls themselves. It might hurt the overall Trump vote in Michigan, or Pennsylvania – closest to the rally. The rally won’t garner a single vote, of that – you can be certain. Even if it did, it would most likely do so in New York City – which won’t vote for Trump in a million years – they know him. But it won’t garner a vote, so don’t worry about it.
The election is likely close enough such that it’s going to turn into a brutal fist-fight, all too literally, after Election Day, and MSG will long be forgotten. But by any traditional metric, the Sunday MSG rally was an epic mistake of staggering magnitude. A self-own that one could see coming from miles away. It likely won’t sink them, but why even bother?
Because Trump had to think it was cool, coming back to mid-town Manhattan in the last week, that comfortable area of his hometown, “owing the joint” – while conjuring up pictures of a Nazi rally almost 100 years ago – a big NYC middle finger to the nation. “We did it because we can, no other reason!” – and damn, wouldn’t it be weird if the “because we can” thing cost them the election?
I guess they’d have to say that they couldn’t?
But Trump definitely can. There are definitely some in the MAGA movement who are there for the racism, the xenophobia, the anti-Semitism, and they must get fed. Some are turned off by overt racism but are addicted to the “F-you” to liberals built into each one of these events. “Yes, we can have these rallies and you liberals can get as mad as you want, you can’t stop us!! We don’t need your permission!!” Damn, they love that.
Except they might lose because of it. “Because we can” won’t necessarily “win” in the long run. If just enough people step in to say “Yes, but please don’t” and do so with conviction, all the fun bursts out of the bubble, never to come back. Risky move, this late.
God Bless: I can be reached at [email protected] and @JasonMiciak
Well magats, you’re absolutely correct. You don’t need our permission to have your little klan rallies. You don’t need our permission to not only shoot yourself in the foot, but to blow your whole damn leg off. You all run with this-what you are just so good at. Let’s see how many important demographics this sort of thing appeals to. I’m betting the voting blocks shit-for-brains desperately needs aren’t going to be very impressed with this kind of rally. I’m thinking they listened to a tiny bit of this and ran, not toward you dipshits, but away. As fast as their little feet could take them.
Not the brightest lights in the night sky this bunch.
The rally was not aimed at getting out the MAGA vote. It was aimed at inciting people to disrupt the election and sow chaos afterwards, so that Trump (or Vance?) can be installed as leader by any means necessary, including violence. The MAGA media trolls are claiming Trump is ahead, in order to pre-emptively dispute the election results. All of us, not just government officials, need to be prepared.
😃 Wow! This is the first time I’ve applauded a Karen since Karens became Karens!! 👏 (Sorry that whole thing happened to your name. I always thought Barbecue Becky in Oakland was way worse than any Karen, but she faded too fast! 😁)
Agreed Karen. This rally was a conscious hate-fest designed to stir the blood of all those imbecilic “patriots” in their Trump hallowe’en costumes and red Chinese caps. It was intended to emphasize that their adored Fuhrer is just as much a scumbag as they are, and no brighter. Which is why they love him so. Now, with their blood nicely stirred, they’ll be ready to take whatever action Trumpler calls upon them to do, once he’s lost the election. Most of that crowd regret they weren’t at the Capitol on 6 January and would love to make up for that lapse this time around.
Actually, Cleora, I think the alliteration of placing Barbeque Becky in Burbank would make it more effective…..
Or how about Barbeque Becky in Berkeley?
The Repugs have, basically, run out of money for the campaign. MSG was a cheap way to get on the media and toss meat to the base without shelling out the bucks (that they don’t have) the more “traditional” way.
That rally was meant to be a nazi rally, just like the last nazi rally held in Madison square garden. It was meant to rile up the base, to stir up the hatred, to get the guns locked and loaded, and the magats lining up for the administration and non administration jobs that will be available when orange hitler wins next month. It was a means for getting the magats identifying the “enemies within” that they want to take out, starting with Puerto Ricans, apparently. It did precisely what it was designed to do, racism, bad humor, and all!
Maga is most definitely built on racism. I have butted heads with more than my share of these vile creatures. They may hate liberals, but they hate the “others” more. They just use the brown or black magats as long as they have a need.
The areas where MAGA rules include the Confederate states plus rural areas. They have been Jones ing for a rematch since 1865. Way back in 1988, I was told by a,woman getting As and Bs that the South didn’t lose the Civil War. Haven’t seen her in 36 years but I would bet she voted for Trump.
Polymarket (Peter Thiel) has hired Nate Silver. Is 538 at all credible anymore? He’s licking the Nazi boots of Hair Thiel. Puns intended