Stereotypes are tricky. Growing up, I was taught to get to know people and who they are on the inside before making assumptions about their likes, dislikes, beliefs, and character.
At the same time, I was also taught to be wary of individuals who dressed like thugs or acted foolishly in public because, as the saying goes, “If you act like a clown, you will attract the circus.” I am often misjudged based on my appearance and the demographics that I fill.
I sport my signature mohawk, which lately I’ve been dying blue. I am the breadwinner in our house, while my husband is the caretaker.
Many would assume I have liberal proclivities based on my looks, age, and family dynamic. However, I am also a woman of faith; my husband homeschools our children, we are gun owners, and we are proud veterans – clearly MAGA Republicans…right?
According to one Washington Post columnist, I fit the bill of a MAGA Republican almost perfectly.
A futile attempt
Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank claims to have been an Independent voter for most of his life. However, for the D.C. presidential primary, he decided to register as a Republican.
He made this decision after a friend convinced him they could be a part of history, possibly securing former President Donald Trump’s first primary loss to then-candidate Nikki Haley. His hope and that of his friends was that:
“As Republicans in 15 states go to the polls on the Super Tuesday primaries, I can only hope that the timeless political maxim holds: As goes the District of Columbia, so goes the nation.”
Rather predictably, Mr. Milbank’s hopes were destined to be scattered by the winds of political inevitability as the former President swept Super Tuesday minus Vermont. As D.C. goes, so goes Vermont…and so goes Nikki Haley, who finally suspended her campaign after her unsurprising loss.
Mr. Milbank’s attempt to help turn the tide for Nikki Haley wasn’t his only goal; he decided to take the opportunity to see what it’s like to be a Republican. His experiment, or perhaps better put, charade, didn’t unveil the realities of Republican living but instead illustrated the allure of a candidate like Donald Trump.
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They hate you
In his opinion column for the Washington Post titled My month of living Republicanly, Dana Milbank attempts to comically explore the stereotypical lifestyles of what many refer to as MAGA Republicans. As he put it in his column:
“…if I was going to register as a Republican, it was only right that I should start acting Republican.”
It would’ve been sufficient if Mr. Milbank was just a Republican. Still, most Haley supporters aren’t, so why should he be different?
He goes on to claim:
“I ate like a Republican, slept like a Republican, shopped like a Republican. I watched TV like a Republican and spent my leisure time like a Republican.”
These alleged Republican activities included:
- Rooting against the Kansas City Chiefs (huh?)
- Eating at Chik-fil-A
- Buying a MyPillow
- Driving a gas-powered vehicle
- Attending a gun show
- Shopping at Hobby Lobby
- Going to the Museum of the Bible
- Watching NASCAR
All the while, Mr. Milbank pokes fun at Americans who are pro-life, exercise their Second Amendment rights, believe in God, and enjoy outdoor activities. It drips with clumsy attempts at humor that consistently betray Mr. Milbank’s elitist core.
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I don’t eat at Chik-fil-A because of the company’s political and religious positions. I eat there, as do millions of Americans, because they have a superior spicy chicken sandwich, and the customer service is always excellent.
I shop at Hobby Lobby because they have a better selection than their competitors. And while I’d rather watch paint dry than NASCAR on television, attending a race in person is an exhilarating experience.
We’re sick
I wouldn’t consider myself a MAGA Republican or even that strong of a Donald Trump supporter. Early in the Republican primaries, I was very interested in Governor Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Governor Doug Burgum.
What I will say is I get why so many Republicans are die-hard Donald Trump supporters. When the rest of the country, including some of your “fellow” Republicans, despise you so much, why not support the one candidate who doesn’t care how you dress, where you eat, or how you shop?
Mr. Milbank writes:
“D.C. Republicans are a wealthy and well-educated set, and when I showed up to cast my ballot in the primary, I was the only person in the place wearing camo gear.”
That sentence alone explains why it was comical that Ms. Haley won the swamp and why Mr. Trump not winning D.C. was an overall win. After Mr. Milbank cast his vote, he discovered that Nikki Haley was coming to speak to the voters.
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He said as he stood amongst the D.C. Republicans listening to Nikki’s speech:
“The D.C. Republicans in that room were, in a genuine sense, my fellow partisans. They are from the roughly 30 percent of Republican voters who want to cure the party of its MAGA sickness.”
Characterizing voters who believe in God and all the rest of the millions of Donald Trump supporters as “sick” is precisely why Donald Trump is where he is.
The truth
Mr. Milbank ended his column with his reaction to Nikki’s statement:
“Can you imagine a country where we could strongly disagree and not hate each other for it? That’s where we want to go.”
Mr. Milbank wrote with almost an audible sigh to his tone:
“That’s exactly where I want to go.”
No, it’s not. And he just proved it in the very same column.
His column ridiculing millions of his fellow Americans is proof of elite hatred for them.
Now is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
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