I must admit, Rick Santorum, Lindsay Graham, and Fox News' reaction to the Charleston terrorist attack surprises even me. This is one of those rare occasions where almost immediately after the attack we knew exactly what motivated it.Dylann Roof was not shy. You could see his white supremacist trappings on the car he drove and in his social media presence. He explained to his victims why he was attacking them.
Nevertheless, Santorum claimed the attack was directed against Christianity, not race. Graham (whose niece apparently knew the shooter) also claimed that it was a religious attack. The two Presidential candidates were merely echoing the spin already being pushed by Fox and Friends. Maybe okay, maybe the Fox and Friends thing doesn't surprise me. But the only reason a Presidential candidate would downplay the obvious racial motivation is if they are actively courting the white supremacist vote. There is simply no other reason for those two candidates to do this unless they are afraid that any negative talk about someone who might want to hurt blacks will lose support of some constituency they need. I see no explanation for their stances other than that naked appeal. This goes beyond the usual dog whistles and euphemisms. This clearly shows where they think their own base lies. I find really surprising they would signal that so clearly.
Since his arrest, Roof has continued to explain that he attacked the black people in the church because they were black, not because they were in a church. I wonder how long Santorum, Graham, and the bright lights of Fox and Friends will continue to insist otherwise.
Nevertheless, Santorum claimed the attack was directed against Christianity, not race. Graham (whose niece apparently knew the shooter) also claimed that it was a religious attack. The two Presidential candidates were merely echoing the spin already being pushed by Fox and Friends. Maybe okay, maybe the Fox and Friends thing doesn't surprise me. But the only reason a Presidential candidate would downplay the obvious racial motivation is if they are actively courting the white supremacist vote. There is simply no other reason for those two candidates to do this unless they are afraid that any negative talk about someone who might want to hurt blacks will lose support of some constituency they need. I see no explanation for their stances other than that naked appeal. This goes beyond the usual dog whistles and euphemisms. This clearly shows where they think their own base lies. I find really surprising they would signal that so clearly.
Since his arrest, Roof has continued to explain that he attacked the black people in the church because they were black, not because they were in a church. I wonder how long Santorum, Graham, and the bright lights of Fox and Friends will continue to insist otherwise.
