The Klan, and Other Notes
It's worth observing that on Saturday, Proud Boys↱ marched in Springfield, Ohio, and the Ku Klux Klan↱ officially arrived. On Sunday morning, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, went on CNN and boasted that he was making up the pet story↱:
A couple things to note: It's not twenty-thousand; they are in the country legally; local officials and business owners actually wanted them in Springfield, and appreciate their work and community ethics.
Moreover, notice Vance's actual words. At no time does he say a certain thing conclusively; the nearest he gets is, "We've created the actual focus that allowed the American media to talk about the story". It's not wrong; he helped create the focus.
But wait, there's more↱:
It is an interesting experience to watch a professional journalist like Dana Bash try to field internet-grade gas. Sen. Vance was approximately on par with some of the more determined rightist trolling we might even find here. There is an underlying chauvinism that is important to understand: It's not simply that other narratives are not valid, but that they don't exist at all. Vance's approach was not to make his argument work within the facts, but to impose his narrative on reality. The mayor of Springfield, for instance: The mayor disagrees with Vance, so what the mayor says does not exist; that's why Vance says Bash accused him. She can quote the mayor all she wants, but for Vance it starts with her because the mayor's narrative doesn't really exist and therefore when she conveys to him something that doesn't exist, it starts with her.
Just like the point that the whole fearmongering pet story isn't real; journalists and activists have tracked its source, even right-wingers have offered cash rewards for evidence in support of the story, and nothing affirmative emerges. So Vance demands, "why don't you bring on some of the people on your program who say that the migrants are eating their pets", and the gamble is that people don't realize the reason we haven't heard from these individuals is that nobody is coming forward. I've had that kind of two-bit discussion many, many times over the years; it's troll-grade excrement, the kind of behavior that can only be validated by omission, and can only be protected by free speech of cacophony.
It's not impossible that we might, before election day, hear Vance fall back to complaining that "everyone who disagrees with you gets called racist", or some such. That's the range he's running in.
It's worth observing that on Saturday, Proud Boys↱ marched in Springfield, Ohio, and the Ku Klux Klan↱ officially arrived. On Sunday morning, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, went on CNN and boasted that he was making up the pet story↱:
Dana Bash: … He didn't say anything about the policies that you're talking about, he just said Haitians are eating dogs and cats. Can you affirmatively say, now, that that is a rumor that has no basis with evidence?
J.D. Vance: Dana, the evidence is the first-hand account of my constituents who are telling me that this happened, and, by the way, I've been trying to talk about the problems in Springfield for months, and the American media ignored it. There was a Congressional hearing, just last week, of Angel Moms, who lost children because Kamala Harris let criminal migrants into this country, who then murdered their children. The American media totally ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes. If I have to―
Bash: But it wasn't just a meme.
Vance: ―If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that's what I'm going to do, Dana, because you guys are completely letting Kamala Harris coast. You had one interview with her. You talk about pushing back against me, Dana? You didn't push back against the fact that she cast the deciding vote on the Inflation Reduction Act, which is why a lot of Americans can't afford food and housing. We ought to be talking about public policy.
Bash: You just said you were creating this story.
Vance: [five seconds of silence]
Bash: Sir, you just said you're creating this story.
Vance: What's that Dana?
Bash: You just said that this is a story you created―
Vance: Yes.
Bash: ―so the eating dogs and cats thing―
Vance: We are cr―... We are creating―
Bash: ―is not accurate.
Vance: We are creating, we are creating― Dana, it comes from first-hand accounts from my constituents. I say that we're creating a story meaning we're creating the American media focusing on it. I didn't create twenty-thousand illegal migrants coming into Springfield thanks to Kamala Harris' policies. Her policies did that, but yes, we created the actual focus that allowed the American media to talk about the story and the suffering caused by Kamala Harris' policies.
J.D. Vance: Dana, the evidence is the first-hand account of my constituents who are telling me that this happened, and, by the way, I've been trying to talk about the problems in Springfield for months, and the American media ignored it. There was a Congressional hearing, just last week, of Angel Moms, who lost children because Kamala Harris let criminal migrants into this country, who then murdered their children. The American media totally ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes. If I have to―
Bash: But it wasn't just a meme.
Vance: ―If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that's what I'm going to do, Dana, because you guys are completely letting Kamala Harris coast. You had one interview with her. You talk about pushing back against me, Dana? You didn't push back against the fact that she cast the deciding vote on the Inflation Reduction Act, which is why a lot of Americans can't afford food and housing. We ought to be talking about public policy.
Bash: You just said you were creating this story.
Vance: [five seconds of silence]
Bash: Sir, you just said you're creating this story.
Vance: What's that Dana?
Bash: You just said that this is a story you created―
Vance: Yes.
Bash: ―so the eating dogs and cats thing―
Vance: We are cr―... We are creating―
Bash: ―is not accurate.
Vance: We are creating, we are creating― Dana, it comes from first-hand accounts from my constituents. I say that we're creating a story meaning we're creating the American media focusing on it. I didn't create twenty-thousand illegal migrants coming into Springfield thanks to Kamala Harris' policies. Her policies did that, but yes, we created the actual focus that allowed the American media to talk about the story and the suffering caused by Kamala Harris' policies.
A couple things to note: It's not twenty-thousand; they are in the country legally; local officials and business owners actually wanted them in Springfield, and appreciate their work and community ethics.
Moreover, notice Vance's actual words. At no time does he say a certain thing conclusively; the nearest he gets is, "We've created the actual focus that allowed the American media to talk about the story". It's not wrong; he helped create the focus.
But wait, there's more↱:
Vance: Can I make just one more final point about this, Dana―
Bash: Please. Yes, please.
Vance: You've heard a lot of the media focusing on every possible distraction from the story in Springfield. You've heard them focus on these Proud Boys marches; you've heard, just in this interview, Dana, the suggestion that because some psychopath is calling in a bomb threat, somehow we have to then ignore forty-thousand Springfieldians―
Bash: That is not what I said.
Vance: ―who are having their lives worsened by Kamala Harris' policies? Well, what is the implication, Dana? I'd actually love to have this conversation―
Bash: Yeah.
Vance: ―right now, live on air.
Bash: Right.
Vance: What is the implication when you say, "You calling out these problems has caused a bomb threat"? You accused me of causing a bomb threat. Doesn't that mean you should shut up about the residents of Springfield? Don't you realize you're engaged in basic propaganda [(Bash protests)] to silence the concerns of American citizens? Please.
Bash: I was quoting the actual mayor of Springfield, Ohio, begging, after the ... he said, after the bomb threat, begging federal officials, you, to please stop putting negative attention on his city. And I'm not talking about the policies, I'm not talking about the very real challenges that Springfield has. I'm talking about baseless rumors about Haitians eating dogs and cats, and after that was said on a debate stage, that is when these bomb threats started. And that is a fact. Senator, I just to move on, I have two other quick issues, separate from this, that I want to talk to you about.
Vance: No, Dana, Dana―
Bash: Go ahead. Please. Go ahead.
Vance: I think this is actually, I think this is an important conversation.
Bash: Okay.
Vance: Look, the Springfield mayor, he's dealing with a lot of terrible things. I certainly sympathize with the guy and we're going to try to help him out, but he did not accuse me of inciting a bomb threat. He just didn't. And if we're going to take the first-hand accounts of people who are on the ground in Springfield, why don't you bring on some of the people on your program who say that the migrants are eating their pets? You're implying a double-standard, you're saying if one person accuses J.D. Vance, I'm going to take that person's word―
Bash: You have somebody whose―
Vance: ―as the gospel truth―
Bash: ―you have somebody whose name―
Vance: ―even if you misrepresented. If you have another person who says they're eating the cats, you're going to ignore them, attack them, silence them, and harrass them, that double-standard is why the people don't trust the media and why we're not talking about public policy fifty-one days out from presidential election.
Bash: Okay, if you have somebody you want to tell us about, who has proof that somebody ate their cat, of course we want to hear that. We certainly have had no evidence that that is actually something that happened, and I just want to say, I have not accused you of anything, I am quoting the mayor who said, after these bomb threats, "federal politicians are negatively spinning our city. They need to know they are hurting our city; it was their words that did it". Okay? I'm quoting him, and it seems to be a cause and effect.
Vance: Dana, roll the tape, you just accused me of inciting a bomb threat. There's no evidence of this. I condemn violence and threats of violence. We should be able to do that and also still talk about what's going on in Springfield.
Bash: I'm glad to hear that you condemn it, that is very important ....
Bash: Please. Yes, please.
Vance: You've heard a lot of the media focusing on every possible distraction from the story in Springfield. You've heard them focus on these Proud Boys marches; you've heard, just in this interview, Dana, the suggestion that because some psychopath is calling in a bomb threat, somehow we have to then ignore forty-thousand Springfieldians―
Bash: That is not what I said.
Vance: ―who are having their lives worsened by Kamala Harris' policies? Well, what is the implication, Dana? I'd actually love to have this conversation―
Bash: Yeah.
Vance: ―right now, live on air.
Bash: Right.
Vance: What is the implication when you say, "You calling out these problems has caused a bomb threat"? You accused me of causing a bomb threat. Doesn't that mean you should shut up about the residents of Springfield? Don't you realize you're engaged in basic propaganda [(Bash protests)] to silence the concerns of American citizens? Please.
Bash: I was quoting the actual mayor of Springfield, Ohio, begging, after the ... he said, after the bomb threat, begging federal officials, you, to please stop putting negative attention on his city. And I'm not talking about the policies, I'm not talking about the very real challenges that Springfield has. I'm talking about baseless rumors about Haitians eating dogs and cats, and after that was said on a debate stage, that is when these bomb threats started. And that is a fact. Senator, I just to move on, I have two other quick issues, separate from this, that I want to talk to you about.
Vance: No, Dana, Dana―
Bash: Go ahead. Please. Go ahead.
Vance: I think this is actually, I think this is an important conversation.
Bash: Okay.
Vance: Look, the Springfield mayor, he's dealing with a lot of terrible things. I certainly sympathize with the guy and we're going to try to help him out, but he did not accuse me of inciting a bomb threat. He just didn't. And if we're going to take the first-hand accounts of people who are on the ground in Springfield, why don't you bring on some of the people on your program who say that the migrants are eating their pets? You're implying a double-standard, you're saying if one person accuses J.D. Vance, I'm going to take that person's word―
Bash: You have somebody whose―
Vance: ―as the gospel truth―
Bash: ―you have somebody whose name―
Vance: ―even if you misrepresented. If you have another person who says they're eating the cats, you're going to ignore them, attack them, silence them, and harrass them, that double-standard is why the people don't trust the media and why we're not talking about public policy fifty-one days out from presidential election.
Bash: Okay, if you have somebody you want to tell us about, who has proof that somebody ate their cat, of course we want to hear that. We certainly have had no evidence that that is actually something that happened, and I just want to say, I have not accused you of anything, I am quoting the mayor who said, after these bomb threats, "federal politicians are negatively spinning our city. They need to know they are hurting our city; it was their words that did it". Okay? I'm quoting him, and it seems to be a cause and effect.
Vance: Dana, roll the tape, you just accused me of inciting a bomb threat. There's no evidence of this. I condemn violence and threats of violence. We should be able to do that and also still talk about what's going on in Springfield.
Bash: I'm glad to hear that you condemn it, that is very important ....
It is an interesting experience to watch a professional journalist like Dana Bash try to field internet-grade gas. Sen. Vance was approximately on par with some of the more determined rightist trolling we might even find here. There is an underlying chauvinism that is important to understand: It's not simply that other narratives are not valid, but that they don't exist at all. Vance's approach was not to make his argument work within the facts, but to impose his narrative on reality. The mayor of Springfield, for instance: The mayor disagrees with Vance, so what the mayor says does not exist; that's why Vance says Bash accused him. She can quote the mayor all she wants, but for Vance it starts with her because the mayor's narrative doesn't really exist and therefore when she conveys to him something that doesn't exist, it starts with her.
Just like the point that the whole fearmongering pet story isn't real; journalists and activists have tracked its source, even right-wingers have offered cash rewards for evidence in support of the story, and nothing affirmative emerges. So Vance demands, "why don't you bring on some of the people on your program who say that the migrants are eating their pets", and the gamble is that people don't realize the reason we haven't heard from these individuals is that nobody is coming forward. I've had that kind of two-bit discussion many, many times over the years; it's troll-grade excrement, the kind of behavior that can only be validated by omission, and can only be protected by free speech of cacophony.
It's not impossible that we might, before election day, hear Vance fall back to complaining that "everyone who disagrees with you gets called racist", or some such. That's the range he's running in.
Of course, MAGA will claim this is nothing more than the weaponisation of the Justice system by the Communist left.