Michael Smerconish, a well-known both siderist, finds a lot of parallels between Donald Trump and the Son of Confederate Veterans, Pat Buchanan. Both seem to share the labels outsider and insurgent, served up with a heaping helping of xenophobia and anti-immigration hate-mongering. Mr. Buchanan believes the significant difference between the Buchanan of two decades ago and the Trump of today is that Patrick never enjoyed the success that the business magnate is now relishing.
The host wants to know if Trump is taking a page out of Buchanan's playbook.
PAT BUCHANAN: Well, I think he certainly is an outsider and insurgent the way I was in 1992 and ‘96, Michael. And he's also taken up the issue of illegal immigration and unfair trade deals that robbed this country of factories and jobs and investment. And he's really riding those issues extremely well.
The difference is, Donald Trump is far, far ahead of where I was.
The two debated the term 'anchor baby' used by Jeb Bush and, of course, you betcha he is very supportive of the pejorative. Pat doesn't see how it's anything but accurate. The fact that Smerconish is suggesting it is 'bombastic' makes Buchanan a little frustrated.
BUCHANAN: Let me say this, Michael, what you are doing, with due respect, is just why the people, excuse me, detest the media. He's got a valid point. It's a tremendous issue. People are really upset by it and the media are saying, why did you use those two words? Why don’t you get another two words?
SMERCONISH: Pat, respectfully, we’ve known each other for a long time. This is no liberal hit job I’m doing on you.
BUCHANAN: I know -
SMERCONISH: "The Wall Street Journal" Friday, a lead editorial "Born in the USA" says, hey, what happened to Republicans? Didn't they believe in exceptionalism? Yes, the 14th Amendment is exceptional. Are they now ditching that?
BUCHANAN: Well, let me talk to that. First, "The Wall Street Journal" has been a horrible influence on the Republican Party on the issue of immigration. Secondly, you’ve got to get control of this, though - the borders in this country, deal with the policy that Donald Trump put out there. I think some parts of it are going to be tough to do. But the part about stopping that, it isn't in the 14th Amendment.
This whole birthright citizen revocation is really becoming a thing? Apparently so. The conversation devolves into an issue of how the GOP will unlikely get enough votes because of our changing demographics. Pat believes that these folks are suffering because of Obama's economic policies, never allocating blame to his predecessor for the economy. When the black president is no longer a factor, he doesn't see the appeal of Democrats to people suffering.
Naturally, Hillary's criminality was addressed, and Buchanan aired his views that Mrs. Clinton is finished, and she will likely face charges she won't overcome. The Democrats will have to look elsewhere, perhaps Joe Biden, perhaps not. Smerconish believes that Trump would likely defeat Bernie Sanders, if Hillary was no longer in the picture.
Smerconish adds fuel to the fire by playing a clip from his radio show that featured a Texas truck driver who believes that illegal immigration is causing stagnant wages. This is a mantra of a typical Fox 'News' listener. The downward spiral of the racist conversation culminated in this statement from Buchanan:
BUCHANAN: Well, your Slovak ancestors, my Irish and German, Scots and Irish ancestors, they came here. And after they all got here by about 1925, Michael, we had a time-out of 40 years so we could assimilate and Americanize all the kids and grandkids of those people, so that by the Kennedy and Eisenhower years, we were one united America.
You know, what we are becoming is what Theodore Roosevelt warned us about, said it would be the end of the country if we become a polyglot boardinghouse for the world. I don't want that. I don't think Donald Trump wants that. And I hope Michael Smerconish doesn't want that.
Don't you see? These immigrants today want to retain their own culture, a culture of non-whiteness, and that terrifies racist Republicans like Trump and Buchanan. Because of these audacious immigrants insisting on being so...unwhite, the GOP has lost their collective shit.
