On the campaign trail, many Republicans talk of violence

[Nevilledog]

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In both swing states and safe seats, GOP candidates say that liberals hate them personally and may turn rioters or a police state on people who disobey them.

washingtonpost.com
On the campaign trail, many Republicans see a civil war
In both swing states and safe seats, many GOP candidates say that liberals hate them personally and may turn rioters or a police state on people who disobey them.
7:57 AM · Jul 24, 2022

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/07/24/republicans-civil-war-midterms/

No paywall:
https://archive.ph/7swk9

Days before Maryland’s July 19 primary, Michael Peroutka stood up at an Italian restaurant in Rockville and imagined how a foreign enemy might attack America.

“We would expect them to make our borders porous,” Peroutka told the crowd, which had come to hear the Republicans running for state attorney general. “We would expect them to make our cities unsafe places to live. We would expect them to try to ruin our economy.” The country was “at war,” he explained, “and the enemy has co-opted members and agencies and agents of our government.”

On Tuesday, Peroutka easily dispatched a more moderate Republican to win the nomination. State Del. Dan Cox, who won Donald Trump’s endorsement after supporting the former president’s effort to subvert the 2020 election, also dispatched a Republican endorsed by the state’s popular governor, Larry Hogan.

Both candidates described a country that was not merely in trouble, but being destroyed by leaders who despise most Americans — effectively part of a civil war. In both swing states and safe seats, many Republicans say that liberals hate them personally and may turn rioters or a police state on people who disobey them.

Referring to the coronavirus and 2020 protests over police brutality, Cox told supporters at a rally last month, “We were told 14 days to bend the curve, and yet antifa was allowed to burn our police cars in the streets.” He continued: “Do you really think, with what we’re seeing — with the riots that have happened — that we should not have something to defend our families with? This is why we have the Second Amendment.”

*snip*

[Novara]

1. PURE PROJECTION

[Metaphorical]

2. As a primary strategy, this will backfire

In a typical election year, you reach out to your core supporters during the primaries, then tack towards the middle during the general election. However, the danger to this is that you are also giving your opponent the opportunity to take what you've said during those primaries and use it in the general. Ordinarily, this acts as a curb on going too far to the extremes However, when those extremes really are extreme, well, your opponent is writing your attack ads for you.

The National GOP has to be very nervous right now.

[Wounded Bear]

3. Projection...every accusation is an confession...nt