Yesterday, Kellyanne Conway (counselor to the president) said something out loud that you are never supposed to say. She said that her boss stood to benefit politically from the unrest that has erupted in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The more chaos, anarchy, and vandalism and violence reigns, the better it is for the president because there is a very clear choice for the public on public safety and law and order.
No, I’m not a reporter. I’m not revealing anything that hasn’t already been reported and commented on. I’m not being paid to do this, so I get to throw in my two cents after the professionals. In some ways it’s too bad that Conway is leaving. I wish her and her family the best and I don’t want to make light of her personal problems, but she is the gift that keeps on giving in public. She was the one that brought you the “Bowling Green massacre” and “alternative facts.”
I’m not sure where this will rank in the pantheon of infamous Conway statements. Only time and perspective can answer that question. However, when you break it down it is a whopper. It reveals not only a grotesque outlook on society and politics but it doesn’t take too much of an imagination to see the strategy behind the scenes.
Essentially, that statement said one thing directly, but the implications run pretty deep. Essentially, she was saying that all of the protests and riots are good for Republicans and her boss. I think she means the rioting part more than the protesting. The implications of this simple statement are staggering. Yes, there are bad actors amongst Antifa and Black Lives Matter, but much of the violence has been instigated by right wing extremists that have infiltrated these protests in order to create unrest. Gee, I wonder where they got that idea from.
I have to admit, it’s a genius strategy. In the craziness of the moment, it is impossible to tell whether any particular event was inspired by the protesters or the instigators. So, scenes like Portland, Kenosha and other locations get blurred until people outside the cities (say the suburbs) simply see burning cities and unrest and have their fear brains activated.
Now, let’s keep a few things in mind. First, President Trump didn’t choke Floyd or order Blake to be shot. He didn’t call Rittenhouse and tell him to bring an AR-15 to Wisconins to protect private property that wasn’t his. So, in the strictest literal sense he did not create the unrest. That’s the whole beauty of what he is doing. He’s just an innocent bystander like the rest of us.
However, earlier in his presidency he encouraged police to use more force with suspects. He has praised right wing protesters that have brought their gun with them to a protest in Michigan. He said there were fine people on both sides even calling members of Antifa as terrorists and members of the “Alt-left” as if that is an actual thing. He strategically retweets radical statements and praises people that seem on the edge.
Conway just confirmed what we already knew. The Trump team sees all of this unrest, destruction, and mayhem as being to their advantage. Trump has always been accused of encouraging it without direct proof. Stoking fear and hate has been both obvious and repeatedly denied by those on the right. It’s why all of these cities have universally asked him not to come. It just makes things worse. That by itself is telling, but there are very few people in the world that can seemingly simultaneously get by with seeding the sentiments of discontent and then turn around and convince people they are the ones that will fix it. That kind of duplicity is usually reserved for fictional characters and real life criminals.
He is very much like the drug dealer that gets you hooked on their smack and then jacks up the price once you are hooked. He is creating both the supply and the demand. The one saving grace about this administration is that they are horrible at covering up their true intentions. Imagine what someone smarter could do.
As a matter of strategy, Biden waited way too long to address the unrest. It definitely calls to question whether he will be able to effectively calm the nation. Still, Trump is the kid that shakes the two liter bottle of Coke and then cries to mommy because it spilled over all of his clothes. Again, it is a pretty clear choice.
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