Mississippi Republicans' Racist Fearmongering In Governor Race

Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves on the Governor’s Mansion on June 30, 2020, in Jackson, Mississippi. | Supply: Pool / Getty

In as we speak’s episode of Republicans Say The Darndest Issues…That Are Demonstrably Racist And Unfaithful, a brand new Mississippi GOP mailer supporting incumbent Gov. Tate Reeves within the 2023 gubernatorial race towards Democrat Brandon Presley seems to denounce the “Biden-Presley agenda” by using its personal agenda of doing what Republicans do finest: scare white individuals.

The mailer was posted to X by Mississippi Free Press journalist Ashton Pittman, who famous that it indicated that the “‘Biden-Presley Agenda’ is a Black girl holding a room of largely white children hostage with masks & growing crime.” This does look like the case seeing because it features a picture of Stacey Abrams in a room stuffed with white kids in face masks with no extra context however a caption that reads, “Indocrination In Colleges And Sports activities.” The caption may as effectively have learn, “LOOK! She’s Black, they’re white. IT’S WOKE!!”

The picture additionally features a message that reads, “Everyone knows what Democratic management has meant to the American individuals—rising crime, greater taxes, failing schooling, excessive inflation, wide-open borders, a highjacking of our tradition, and erosion of private freedoms.”

So, let’s look at a few of that.

First, it’s not clear what “a highjacking of our tradition” is meant to imply, however one can speculate that the creator of the graphic is referring to white American tradition—no matter that’s. Maybe it refers back to the taking down of Accomplice flags and monuments—as a result of everyone knows how white conservatives like to dry-hump their odes to white supremacy and Black bondage. Possibly the Reeves supporters are blaming Democrats for individuals kneeling in the course of the Nationwide Anthem, or the singing of the Black Nationwide Anthem throughout sports activities occasions. Or possibly they suppose the battle towards the whitewashing of Black historical past is a part of a Democratic agenda, versus a pro-Black, anti-white supremacy in schooling agenda. Both method, “a highjacking of our tradition” simply lotions, “WE NEED TO PROTECT WHITENESS AT ALL COST!”

However, no matter, that’s all simply hypothesis and conjecture (albeit, well-substantiated hypothesis and conjecture). So, let’s transfer on to some information.

In keeping with USA Information, 4 of the 5 states with probably the most violent crime per capita—which delusional right-wingers would most likely by no means consider doesn’t embody the state the place Chicago resides—are Republican-led states. Three out of the 5 states with the least violent crime—which delusional right-wingers would most likely by no means consider contains New York—are run by Democrats. (Now, to be honest, Democrats do run a lot of the states with the very best property crime charges, nevertheless it’s additionally price mentioning that these states include the cities with the very best populations within the nation. Extra individuals = extra crime, except you’re doing Republican math during which 1 + 1 = CHICAGO, CHICAGO, CHICAGO, CHICAGO!!!)

In keeping with World Inhabitants Overview, Republican-led states account for eight out of the ten least educated states in America, with quantity two on that listing being—you guessed it—Mississippi. (It’s additionally the poorest state within the nation, and 9 out of the highest 10 states on that listing are additionally run by Republicans, however at this level, pointing that out is simply me being petty.)

Anyway, Pittman went on to notice examples of how “scaring white individuals by associating candidates like Brandon Presley with Black leaders is an outdated tactic.”

Pittman additionally famous Reeves’ personal historical past of horrifying his constituents by associating his opponents with the Black, brown and Muslim congresswomen of “the squad,” in addition to liberal Democrats like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

(Facet word: Conservatives additionally actually look like making an attempt their absolute hardest to offer the phrase “progressive” a destructive connotation when the very nature of the phrase implies the alternative. However we shouldn’t anticipate them to be any higher with etymology than they’re with math and statistics.)

In fact, obtuse white conservatives will level out that Presley can be white and that race isn’t talked about in any of the mailers. However when you’ve been a Black particular person or particular person of shade in America for lengthy sufficient, then you recognize dog-whistling, veiled racism and white grievance pandering whenever you see it.

And we see it!