# Now Hillary plays the KKK card
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-hillary-plays-the-kkk-card/763983
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [August 26, 2016, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-hillary-plays-the-kkk-card/763983 "2016-08-26T02:07:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 5
### Author:  [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-hillary-plays-the-kkk-card/763983/81 "2016-08-26T19:22:12Z")
> [@Voyager](#):
>
> Forget about the Klan. Trump kept black people from renting his apartments in the 1970s. Trump didn’t want a black man doing his accounting in the casino. Trump’s people hid black workers when he visited.
> Trump is a racist. Deal with it.
But Voyager, all of that happened years ago. And while some may say that demanding long form birth certificates from our first African American president was barely concealed racist pandering, I say no, not necessarily. Maybe Trump just loves collecting documents.
Let’s be fair!
---
### Author:  [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-hillary-plays-the-kkk-card/763983/82 "2016-08-26T19:31:28Z")
The Alt-Right groups seem to feel like this is their big coming out. They’re excited that Hillary is bringing attention to them and their ideas.
[The 'Alt-Right' Is Thrilled By Hillary Clinton's Denunciation | HuffPost Latest News](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hillary-clinton-alt-right_us_57bf3d8be4b04193420e2d3d)?
> [@Huffpo article about the reactions of reactionary Alt-right racists](#):
>
> “She is doing the white nationalism movement a great service by bringing attention to our issues to the forefront of political debate,” said William Johnson, a leader of the white nationalist American Freedom Party who was selected by Trump as a California delegate during the primary, but later resigned.
>
> Jared Taylor, who helps run white nationalist online magazine American Renaissance, said he and those who share his beliefs “appreciate any publicity Mrs. Clinton gives us.”
>
> “We have important things to say and are glad for any opportunity to speak to national audiences,” Taylor told HuffPost.
>
> The Daily Stormer, a neo-Nazi website that calls itself “the world’s most visited alt-right website,” also cheered Clinton’s speech.
>
> “Well guys. We’ve made it,” Daily Stormer founder Andrew Anglin wrote. “Hillary Clinton is giving a speech about us today.”
They’re happy that they can get a chance now to argue that they are the true, mainstream, Republican party these days.
It’s hilarious that just a few months ago, Breitbart published an article about how the Alt-Right are the “dangerously bright”, sociopathic libertarians, but after last night, Alt-right has become synonoumous with white supremacist. Good job, Hillary!
---
### Author:  [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-hillary-plays-the-kkk-card/763983/83 "2016-08-26T19:34:55Z")
> [@mhendo](#):
>
> Yeah, thanks, but that’s not what i suggested.
>
> I made quite clear my belief that millions of Republicans reject Trump and his bigotry. My argument was that she shouldn’t have let the party as a whole, and especially its leadership and its elected representatives, off so lightly.
>
> I would have preferred a clearer statement of the actual truth: that Trump has prospered because, even while they might oppose a lot of his ideas, many Republican politicians have been willing to overlook his bigotry and offer him support because they see it as a lesser evil than letting Clinton win the election. And also, i think, that Republican obstructionism on so many basic, reasonable things that the Obama administration has tried to do (up to and including the very proper nomination of an eminently qualified Supreme Court candidate) has created an atmosphere whereby mere loud-mouthed, unthinking opposition is seen as a reasonable substitute for political dialog.
My take is that sort of analysis is the commentator’s job (eg me and you). The job of the President (one of them) is coalition maintenance.
On the substance, there’s a distinction between dog whistling (done by decades by the GOP) and fog-horning. Trump is a fog horner. The GOP establishment want to go back to dog whistling, outside of state and local politics in parts of the deep south. So yeah, I agree with you analytically. I just think that Hillary Clinton’s first job is to win the election and her second job is to secure a Democratic congress. She needs to peel off voters, not attack them for responding favorably to dog whistles.
Hillary did the right thing. Note that by explicitly IDing the Alt-Right, it made it conceivable for the mainstream media to discuss whether “White Nationalism” really covers what they are doing. Sunshine is the best disinfectant.
---
### Author:  [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-hillary-plays-the-kkk-card/763983/84 "2016-08-26T20:01:03Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#):
>
> Watch the speech she made. You don’t have to read the Mother Jones article but the video is t the bottom. She lays all his racism and ties to white nationalists step by step.
>
> [Clinton Says Trump Has Embraced the Racist Fringe of GOP Politics – Mother Jones](http://m.motherjones.com/politics/2016/08/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-alt-right-stephen-bannon-racist)
Transcript here:
[http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/transcript-of-hillary-s-reno-speech](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/transcript-of-hillary-s-reno-speech)
---
### Author:  [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-hillary-plays-the-kkk-card/763983/85 "2016-08-26T21:10:38Z")
> [@Ambrosio\_Spinola](#):
>
> This is also why it’s a super effective trap. Rather than casting a super wide net, Clinton simply points out that (1) Trump is being supported by a bunch of super-sketchy dudes; and (2) Trump has been saying a bunch of crazy shit. I think that point (2) is basically indisputable, even by Trump fans who would dispute they are sketchy dudes. However, current Republican orthodoxy doesn’t allow Republicans to publicly agree with Clinton (or Obama) about anything, which means that they can’t agree with her attack. On the other hand, they can’t very well dispute point (2) either - Trump really has been saying crazy shit.
>
> Cue the semi-embarrassed silence. A devastating attack speech like that would normally be met with Trump’s party rallying to his defense; here, they’re not.
Even better, by giving specific examples of non-racist top Republicans (two of who don’t support Trump) she is saying that Republicans aren’t racist per se, but those who support Trump - well maybe. But they can be saved. And she isn’t even really asking for their vote. It is not like Romney or Shrub is about to vote for her, after all.
McCain is the exception - but he is a hostage to the wackos.
---
### Author:  [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-hillary-plays-the-kkk-card/763983/86 "2016-08-26T21:11:42Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#):
>
> But Voyager, all of that happened years ago. And while some may say that demanding long form birth certificates from our first African American president was barely concealed racist pandering, I say no, not necessarily. Maybe Trump just loves collecting documents.
>
> Let’s be fair!
I’m fair. I just want to horsewhip him, not flay him. What can be fairer than that?
---
### Author:  [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-hillary-plays-the-kkk-card/763983/87 "2016-08-26T21:14:32Z")
> [@Voyager](#):
>
> I’m fair. I just want to horsewhip him, not flay him. What can be fairer than that?
Reasonable people we can compromise on 40 lashes. It is only the completely unreasonable people who refuse to have this conversation.
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### Author:  [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-hillary-plays-the-kkk-card/763983/88 "2016-08-26T21:22:33Z")
Clinton ties Trump to the KKK. What’s the problem here? Trump has tied himself to the racists already
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### Author:  [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-hillary-plays-the-kkk-card/763983/89 "2016-08-26T21:26:19Z")
Well, as everything else, the problem with our society today is that the media has thrown away any semblance of Journalism (not that there ever was much) in the name of “fairness” (not pissing anyone off if they can help it) and ratings.
As I said to a co-worker the other day, the “News” media has completely surrendered to the business model that allows “Some say the Earth is round. Many say it is flat. Let’s examine the controversy!”
Meaning, in the context of this thread, that the media had every opportunity to call him out months ago, toyed with it then threw their hands up and gave him a free ride.
---
### Author:  [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-hillary-plays-the-kkk-card/763983/90 "2016-08-26T21:36:13Z")
Even as a conservative I have to say that any so-called new lows for Hillary are still a Mount Everest above Trump’s highest high.
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### Author:  [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-hillary-plays-the-kkk-card/763983/91 "2016-08-26T21:38:22Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#):
>
> Maybe Trump just loves collecting documents.
Maybe that’s why he won’t let go of his tax returns?
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-hillary-plays-the-kkk-card/763983/92 "2016-08-26T21:40:19Z")
Trump screwed up on this one. He’s been talking the race issue for the last week or so, saying that Clinton is a bigot and blacks should vote for him.
I think his expectation was that Clinton would defend herself and point out all the things she’s done for blacks in the past and will do for them in the future. And the Trump would take her remarks out of context and claim that Clinton is anti-white.
Trump was expecting that Clinton would do what he would do in any situation: make the issue about himself. But Clinton showed once again that she’s a better campaigner than Trump is. She didn’t talk about her record; she talked about Trump’s record. The possibility that a candidate would deflect attention away from themselves probably never occurred to Trump.
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### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-hillary-plays-the-kkk-card/763983/93 "2016-08-26T22:39:46Z")
> [@Chimera](#):
>
> Reasonable people we can compromise on 40 lashes. It is only the completely unreasonable people who refuse to have this conversation.
Tarring and feathering then run out of town on a rail is more traditional.
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### Author:  [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-hillary-plays-the-kkk-card/763983/94 "2016-08-26T22:43:35Z")
Well, we couldn’t just run him out of _town_, we’d have to run him out of the whole damn _country_!
Hmmm. Let me think on that a moment…
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### Author:  [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-hillary-plays-the-kkk-card/763983/95 "2016-08-26T22:46:43Z")
> [@Chimera](#):
>
> Well, as everything else, the problem with our society today is that the media has thrown away any semblance of Journalism (not that there ever was much) in the name of “fairness” (not pissing anyone off if they can help it) and ratings.
>
> As I said to a co-worker the other day, the “News” media has completely surrendered to the business model that allows “Some say the Earth is round. Many say it is flat. Let’s examine the controversy!”
>
> Meaning, in the context of this thread, that the media had every opportunity to call him out months ago, toyed with it then threw their hands up and gave him a free ride.
Have you read the Washington Post in the last six months? Even I think they are starting to go a little overboard on Trump. They are starting to look like the New York Post in terms of relentless criticism of a political opponent.
My reservations of the Post’s relentless criticism of Trump are tempered by my view that Trump deserves every word of what they have written. But for sure, there’s no pretense of fairness or pulling punches.
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### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-hillary-plays-the-kkk-card/763983/96 "2016-08-26T22:47:20Z")
> [@elucidator](#):
>
> Well, we couldn’t just run him out of _town_, we’d have to run him out of the whole damn _country_!
>
> …
I like your ideas and wish to subscribe to your newsletter. 😛
---
### Author:  [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-hillary-plays-the-kkk-card/763983/97 "2016-08-26T22:49:41Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#):
>
> On the substance, there’s a distinction between dog whistling (done by decades by the GOP) and fog-horning. Trump is a fog horner.
I’m slightly disappointed that my recent coinage of “doghorn” hasn’t taken off.
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### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-hillary-plays-the-kkk-card/763983/98 "2016-08-26T22:54:40Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#):
>
> On the substance, there’s a distinction between dog whistling (done by decades by the GOP) and fog-horning. Trump is a fog horner. The GOP establishment want to go back to dog whistling, outside of state and local politics in parts of the deep south. So yeah, I agree with you analytically.
Well, I am not sure if "Dog Whistles’ are a real thing. But even if so, Trump is not capable of that level of subtlety. Fog Horn is a better term.
---
### Author:  [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-hillary-plays-the-kkk-card/763983/99 "2016-08-26T23:00:58Z")
Part 2: The [next ad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q2oLn8Bmfo) is out.
---
### Author:  [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2016, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-hillary-plays-the-kkk-card/763983/100 "2016-08-26T23:07:07Z")
> [@Ravenman](#):
>
> Have you read the Washington Post in the last six months? Even I think they are starting to go a little overboard on Trump. They are starting to look like the New York Post in terms of relentless criticism of a political opponent.
>
> My reservations of the Post’s relentless criticism of Trump are tempered by my view that Trump deserves every word of what they have written. But for sure, there’s no pretense of fairness or pulling punches.
1. The point of Hillary’s remarks was to give permission to the press to discuss [whether Trump is a racist](http://www.vox.com/2016/7/25/12270880/donald-trump-racism-history). Otherwise they would tap dance around it. Clinton’s remarks makes **mhendo** ’s historical discussion _possible_ outside of [Vox.com](http://Vox.com) and other reality-centric operations.
2. WAPO is the bastion of opinions-on-the-shape-of-the-earth-differ journalism. So what happened? Reliable media sources like [Vox.com](http://Vox.com), 538, and Kevin Drum rely on data. Traditional media sources rely on access. So the reporters bend over backwards to avoid giving the impression that they are taking sides. Because they care about scoops, even if their coverage misleads their readers.
WAPO has a great deal of access inside Washington. And GOP congressmen and woman don’t care if the media trashes Trump. In fact, they like it. Note how few of them are coming to Trump’s defense when he is accused of bigotry. Republican leaders recognize that a Hillary victory, however unpalatable, is far better for their medium run interests than a failed Trump Presidency. They quietly endorse the attacks on Trump - the dog has not barked.
I got facts. Ezra Klein: [INDENT][INDENT] A quick story. Back during the primaries, I published a piece — and recorded a video — calling Donald Trump’s rise a terrifying moment in American politics. The analysis was unsparing.
“Trump is the most dangerous major candidate for president in memory,” I wrote. “He pairs terrible ideas with an alarming temperament; he’s a racist, a sexist, and a demagogue, but he’s also a narcissist, a bully, and a dilettante. He lies so constantly and so fluently that it’s hard to know if he even realizes he’s lying.”
After the piece published, I got a call from a very conservative Republican member of Congress. He wanted to talk about the article, his office said. I figured he’d be angry. Instead, he congratulated me for speaking out.
That member of Congress, by the way, has now endorsed Trump.
I think this is why the Washington Post, for instance, isn’t panicking over being banned from Trump’s events. If the Post believed the Republican Party had turned on it so sharply that it was now permanently blacklisted from doing even basic reporting on GOP campaigns, it would be an institutional crisis.
But the Post doesn’t believe that’s what Trump’s reaction represents, because Trump doesn’t speak for the Republican Party. Plenty of Republicans are happy to see the excellent, critical coverage the paper has offered of Trump and are appalled by Trump’s petulant reaction. The Post’s long-term relationships on the right aren’t imperiled by its feud with the Trump campaign — they may even be being strengthened by it. [/INDENT][/INDENT] [The media vs. Donald Trump: why the press feels so free to criticize the Republican nominee | Vox](http://www.vox.com/2016/8/16/12484644/media-donald-trump)
Oh, and you can bet that WAPO will later allude to its aggressive Trump coverage and call it courage. It is not. It is a continuance of self interest.
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