Well, okay, first, we admit you can never say something is the dumbest thing someone on the left has said, ever. They will take it as a challenge and top it within a week, at most. The best you can say is ‘it is the dumbest thing someone on the left has said so far.’
More basically, we are beyond sick of the left constantly claiming that everything under the sun is a dog-whistle. If a person on the right accidentally belches that will be considered a dog whistle and we are always tempted to say ‘if you hear a dog whistle, then you are the dog.’
But they were ready to trot out this tired old saw horse with this interview of Steve Schmidt, an alleged True ConservativeTM by Joy Ann Reid (who is a dumb racist even by dumb racist standards). The real idiocy starts at about the 1:40 mark and it’s a doozy:
.@SteveSchmidtSES on Trump saying he needs “six months to a year” to reform the federal govt: “This is a racist code whistle to every white supremacist in the country because it’s how long it took Adolf Hitler to take Weimar Germany to a complete and total dictatorship.” pic.twitter.com/PGQPzH5eT8
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September 26, 2023
Tom Elliot transcribes this amazing idiocy, here:
Schmidt: “Now, since FDR’s time in office, the legislative metric in the United States has been 100 days, not six months. This is a racist code whistle to every white supremacist in the country because it’s how long it took Adolf Hitler to take Weimar Germany to a complete and…
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September 26, 2023
The full text says:
Schmidt: ‘Now, since FDR’s time in office, the legislative metric in the United States has been 100 days, not six months. This is a racist code whistle to every white supremacist in the country because it’s how long it took Adolf Hitler to take Weimar Germany to a complete and total dictatorship.
‘That included, by the way, the military swearing an oath of allegiance not to the nation, but to the führer. And the military was the institution amongst many in Germany that were the last holdouts to this. But once he was in power, they were the first to submit.
‘And what Donald Trump is signaling to the officer corps of the American military, ‘You get in line behind me, the leader, not the idea, not the Constitution, or I’m coming for you, too.’ This is an epically dangerous moment.’
So, let’s follow this logic. Because FDR focused on the ‘First Hundred Days,’ every other president has to speak in those terms. No other time frame is allowed. We are not even sure you can talk about a subsequent hundred days. And since Trump departed from that, well, that is proof that something is fishy. And then because Hitler allegedly operated on a similar time frame, that is proof that Trump is invoking Hitler.
We think we just got dumber trying to understand that ‘logic.’
By the way, we have googled and searched Twitter. Mr. Schmidt and Ms. Reid have made absolutely no mention of the actual Nazi honored in the Canadian Parliament, that eventually resulted in the resignation of the Speaker for their House of Commons. That’s not so much a dog whistle as a dog bullhorn and yet they can’t seem to hear it.
But okay, so the new dog whistle is ‘six months to a year.’ Okay, well this is about to get very awkward, then. For instance, in this White House link:
Today, President Biden met President Putin for a bilateral meeting in Geneva. Read President Biden’s remarks here: https://t.co/WXehMZJz8m pic.twitter.com/DLm83zur8k
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 16, 2021
Biden says this about his relations with Russia:
We’ll find out within the next six months to a year whether or not we actually have a strategic dialogue that matters.
(Emphasis added.) Oh noes! He invoked that evil Hitler timeframe!
And, hey, you know who else didn’t get along with Russia, right?
If you guessed ‘the Ukrainian Nazi honored by the Canadian Parliament’ that would be one correct answer.
Also here’s what Joe Biden said in 2007 about Iraq:
‘If the [Bush] administration insists on keeping this many troops in Iraq into next year, it will have to send soldiers back on third, fourth and fifth tours and extend deployment times from six months to a year for Marines and from 12 months to 16 or 18 months for the Army.’
(Emphasis added.) Are we going to say now that Biden is a Hitler-like figure?
Okay, fair enough.
Joking aside, 'six months to a year' is just a common expression of time and Steve is being kind of a Schmithead.
But we will take a moment to talk about something else. Earlier in the clip, they also seemed to be complaining about Trump saying this on TruthSocial:
The full text reads:
They are almost all dishonest and corrupt, but Comcast, with its one-side and vicious coverage by NBC NEWS, and in particular MSNBC, often and correctly referred to as MSDNC (Democrat National Committee!), should be investigated for its “Country Threatening Treason.” Their endless coverage of the now fully debunked SCAM known as Russia, Russia, Russia, and much else, is one big Campaign Contribution to the Radical Left Democrat Party. I say up front, openly, and proudly, that when I WIN the Presidency of the United States, they and others of the LameStream Media will be thoroughly scrutinized for their knowingly dishonest and corrupt coverage of people, things, and events. Why should NBC, or any other of the corrupt & dishonest media companies, be entitled to use the very valuable Airwaves of the USA, FREE? They are a true threat to Democracy and are, in fact, THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE! The Fake News Media should pay a big price for what they have done to our once great Country!
Now, what Trump said was wrong. But there’s a few things to note, here. Outside of truly extraordinary circumstances, we cannot imagine any scenario where NBC or MSNBC can be validly investigated for treason. As regular readers know, the Constitution defines the term narrowly:
Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.
The first part deals with levying war, and words alone are not war. Meanwhile the second part requires an enemy of the United States and well, who would that be? We’ve said this before when someone said that Trump supposedly gave aid and comfort to Russia. Russia is not America’s enemy in any legally cognizable way and we doubt that anyone could make the case that any television network is giving aid and comfort to any other country that we have recognized in any cognizable way to be our enemy. Of course, the media has behaved very badly in the last few years, but as far as we know, we have seen no evidence of actual criminality.
And an FCC broadcast license can't be denied because the President doesn't like them.
But again, even if Trump becomes President, he’s just one guy. And as I have pointed out before (in a VIP post), the nearly entire ruling class of the Democratic party is dedicated to a multi-year campaign to gut the First Amendment. As we said back then:
Now, Trump is no great advocate of Freedom of Expression. He has said some things I disagree with very deeply on the subject. But his judicial appointments have left the First Amendment more secure than it has been in years. For instance, just last term three ‘liberal’ justices thought that it was appropriate under the First Amendment to force a person to say things that they don’t agree with on their website. If Hillary had been president from 2017-2021, that probably would have been a 5-4 decision in favor of actually forcing people to say what they don’t believe. …
So, who really is the danger to the Republic—or a danger to democracy, as Democrats put it? One guy, or an entire party dedicated to making it a crime to make a movie that says certain things? The party that thinks it is okay to try to use lawfare to prevent the American people from choosing their own President freely? The party that doesn’t want you to know about the obvious corruption in the Biden presidency, because they don’t want to have to explain rationally why they think you need to vote for the crook?
They say they are concerned about threats to the Republic (or to democracy), but it seems to be projection all the way down. At the very least, they have reached the ‘We have to destroy the Republic in order to save it,’ stage of their thinking.
In that post, we explain how Democrats are pretty openly telling you that they are going to gut the First Amendment and came frighteningly close to succeeding in 2016, if you can crack their code. You might reasonably say ‘how is that different than the dog whistle theory you just mocked?’ Well, the answer is we are not playing word or phrase association games. We are pointing out that they are openly saying that they are going to overturn cases that protect Freedom of Expression and if you understand what those cases really said, you would understand what they are really saying when they say they want to overturn them. Yeah, it costs a couple dollars to read that old VIP post, but maybe it is worth it to find out the risk posed to our Republic?
So, Trump was wrong, and we don’t support what Trump said about Freedom of Expression. But we offer a defense Trump might not enjoy reading: The truth is his words are impotent. Even if he wins in 2024 or becomes President sometime thereafter, he simply wouldn’t get anywhere trying to take any network that badmouths him off the air or getting them investigated. There are enough checks and balances, and political and judicial opposition, that it would get nowhere—just like last time when he made threats like that when he was actually president. Even if he could find someone in his administration to do these things, the courts would stop him in a heartbeat—indeed, he would probably lose unanimously in the Supreme Court, assuming they didn’t let the lower courts handle it.
That may not be the most flattering defense of Trump, but we believe it is the truth. And those checks and balances we just mentioned, that political and legal opposition just isn’t as strong when we are talking about the Democratic agenda of speech suppression. After four years of Trump, the First Amendment was stronger than it had been in years, even if he has some bad ideas on the subject. But if Biden is president for four more years (or Harris or Newsom) and the two oldest members of the Supreme Court retired or died, we could lose the First Amendment—possibly forever.
Anyway, let’s take a few moments to cover the people pointing and laughing at Joy Reid and her piece-of-Schmidt guest:
He doesn't care. His team.
— JWF (@JammieWF) September 26, 2023
100 days, Chris, or it’s the third reich.
— FactCheckMy0 🐭 (@Factcheckmy0) September 27, 2023
Fourth Reich, but who is counting? Fifth, if you count Robert Reich.
— sarainitaly 🍹☀️🌻 (@sarainitaly) September 27, 2023
For the record, we like the Nicholas Cage GIF better.
Hitler became Chancellor on January 30, 1933. The Reichstag Fire was less than one month later, and the Enabling Act was passed on March 23. He appointed himself Dictator in August 1934. WTF is he even babbling about with six months? https://t.co/umD26FuOgQ
— Noam Blum 🚡 (@neontaster) September 26, 2023
MSNBC and the Lincoln Project found racism here but not when Joe Biden called a 55 year old black icon “that boy with the big arms”.
— Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) September 26, 2023
What a time to be alive. https://t.co/jbDBtS0sCJ
It was the smartest of times, it was the stupidest of times...
I should not be but am always genuinely surprised how poorly educated the American political class is & how many of its luminaries seem to have severe brain damage. https://t.co/fmyJpHysJM
— Gray Connolly (@GrayConnolly) September 27, 2023
The next time a judge schedules a trial for six months to a year out, I'll say "That's nothing but a white supremacy dog whistle, Hitler." https://t.co/18AQv8719u
— Boo (@IzaBooboo) September 26, 2023
In case it isn’t clear, you really should never call a judge presiding over your case Hitler unless it is really, really called-for. And maybe not even then.
To Schmidt, Trump fans are both knuckle-dragging prehistoric beasts AND scholars of early 20th century German politics. https://t.co/nBn5BJjKid
— Ellen Carmichael (@ellencarmichael) September 26, 2023
Donald J. Trump, noted scholar of the late Weimar Republic period, expert dog whistler. https://t.co/Vtrj1y2FAy
— Philippe Lemoine (@phl43) September 26, 2023
This is the sort of talk designed to provoke an assassination attempt. It's the sort of talk that if a Republican engaged in it, the left would swiftly condemn it. It is deeply perverse as well to equate a multi-decade GOP idea of gutting the bureaucracy and claim it is… https://t.co/K0k7nzhdaC
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) September 26, 2023
We think Erickson is trolling but here is his full comment:
This is the sort of talk designed to provoke an assassination attempt. It's the sort of talk that if a Republican engaged in it, the left would swiftly condemn it. It is deeply perverse as well to equate a multi-decade GOP idea of gutting the bureaucracy and claim it is Nazi-like.
Trolling or not, he is applying ‘their rules.’
Periodic reminder that if you're hearing a dog whistle, you're the dog. https://t.co/k3jjIBeCxC
— Pablo (@Pablo_1791) September 26, 2023
Jinx!
The frick? https://t.co/Wy9mjXkN29
— Andrew Lynch (@GentlemanRascal) September 26, 2023
Trump saying he only needs 24 hours to end the war in Ukraine is a racist code whistle bc Waffle House is open 24 hours. https://t.co/rXymvXEFK1
— cc (@cc_fla) September 26, 2023
We know he is joking but DON’T GIVE THEM IDEAS!!!
The equinoxes are no coincidence either. Also, the game Fortnite (fourteen days) is a racist code whistle to the infamous 14 words. Remember to check under your bed tonight for racists who are probably hiding there. https://t.co/CdeFKst79A
— Kennedy W. Roberts 🌪️ (@KennedyWRoberts) September 26, 2023
Steve buddy I think you're telling on yourself here https://t.co/eFYTFKHOtE
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) September 26, 2023
But, hey, let’s take us out with a musical interlude.
— Richard “Dick” Whitman (🌎/21M) (@GhostofWhitman) September 26, 2023
Wow, that’s actually really well done. Probably the best musical satire of the ‘everyone I disagree with is a literally Nazi’ trope since, well … this:
That’s a bona fide classic, right there. Truly epic.
***
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