Hey! Check This Out! Republicans Rediscover the Dangers of Selling Bunk to Their Constituents

Charlie McGill

Mr. Roddy

GPHC
12/9/2020

Republicans Rediscover the Dangers of Selling Bunk to Their Constituents

In the Atlantic’s article Republicans Rediscover the Dangers of Selling Bunk to Their Constituents, author Rachel Shelden compares Donald Trump’s energetic, inflammatory presidential campaign with the actions of southern Democratic congressmen in the mid-19th century. During this time, southern representatives often delivered “buncombe” speeches, speeches that were designed not to convince their fellow representatives of the merits of any particular policy, but crafted to prove their pro-slavery credentials and energize their constituents back home. These speeches frequently insulted Republican politicians, and warned of the dangers of a Republican taking office to the system of slavery. They even claimed that Northerners wanted to enslave Southerners by “depriving them of their right to property!” Due to the manner of these speeches, it should therefore be no surprise that Southerners began to have an existential fear of the Republican party and the north; it should also be no surprise that once Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860, Southern congressmen found themselves needing to support southern secession or lose their seat. 

You might be getting Trumpian vibes from this history lesson, similar to Shelden. In her view, Trump’s demonization of the Democratic party and misinformation about the results of the election are very similar to the buncombe speeches of the 19th century, and they could have similar consequences: widespread, harmful division. At the end of her article, Shelden calls on Republicans to stand up and tell their constituents the truth, even if it means they will lose reelection. 

Personally, I loved the historical aspect of this article. Relations between the parties, and the state of the Union during the civil war is a topic I find immensely interesting. I also think that Shelden’s comparison between buncombe speeches and Republican’s divisive rhetoric carries much validity. However, there were parts of this article that I disagreed with. Throughout the article, Shelden implies that any strong, energizing, and divisive rhetoric is inherently a bad thing. She also praises current Republicans for congratulating Biden behind the scenes, and Southern Democrats of the 19th century for having good relations with Northerners privately. However, I think that what these representatives do privately is completely irrelevant. If they are publicly supporting succession, or Trump’s coup attempt, then any private actions that contradict that should be disregarded, because their public profile means much more. Also, I don’t think that all divisive rhetoric is necessarily evil. To me, admittedly a progressive, Neoliberal pipe dreams of perfect bipartisan cooperation is unrealistic and detrimental to progress. To tackle the immense problems we currently face, it will require progressive solutions coming from one side of one party. We are currently a long way away from my own dream becoming a reality, but it is likely that energizing rhetoric will be necessary to win enough seats, and energizing rhetoric is frequently maligned as divisive. Divisive rhetoric creates hate and agitates violence; energizing rhetoric simply points out the immense divisions between politicians and promotes the policies of one side. Shelden doesn’t seem to recognize this difference, and I think that her lack of recognition is more likely to create division than energizing rhetoric. 

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