According to a major new report from Dave Weigel at the Washington post, more and more
Republican candidates are using violent imagery, violent words, and even sometimes invoking
civil war when talking to their constituents, both in campaign stump, speeches in television
appearances.
And of course in their political ads.
Let me read this from Weigel 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.
The argument has been dramatized and adds that for instance, show one armed candidate
appearing to charge into the home of a political enemy and another warning of quote, the mob
that threatens ordinary Americans.
In many cases, the candidates are brandishing firearms while threatening harm to liberals
or other enemies.
Now, we have talked about some of the singular instances of this that have taken place, right?
The people out there even saying that we're rhino hunters, we're gonna, I've got my big
gun here.
We're gonna go hunt the Republicans in name only.
We're gonna fight back against the liberals.
We're gonna take our country back.
All of these loaded phrases, the hunting, the take our country back civil war.
All of it paints a picture of an increasingly unhinged and dangerously violent Republican
party.
You know, to make things worse.
A new poll also came out this week, showing that one out of three Americans.
So a third of people in this country believe that it may be necessary to take up arms against
the federal government in the near future.
And these Republican candidates, the people out there using the violent words in the violent
imagery, in their ads and speeches.
They see these poles.
Now, I guess we've got a chicken and egg kind of situation here.
Do these poles reflect what these people and the ads are saying, or are these people running
these ads doing it?
Because they see these poles.
Technically it doesn't matter either way, you know which way it's happening, what's
causing what, because either way it is dangerous.
You're feeding into a Republican party that, you know, 18 months ago, coming off an insurrection
against the federal government.
A lot of these people not necessarily showing any remorse until of course they get sentenced,
but we've seen what they can do.
We've seen what a completely disorganized group of angry Trump people can do at a moment's
notice when they storm the capital, imagine what they can do if they sit there
And actually plan it out.
If they put thought into it, if they have more and more Republican candidates turned
politicians, elected officials who they think have their back, they think they're watching
these speeches, listening to these ads and being given marching orders.
And we have seen ever since Donald Trump came into office, what these people are willing
to do, the death threats that they have issued against democratic politicians, against Republican
politicians, against media outlets.
All of these things are a result of all of the violent rhetoric that has been coming
from Republicans.
And unfortunately as Weigel, you know, points out in this piece, it's only getting worse
and more and more Republicans are starting to buy into it and using that as an effective
campaign tactic.