Trump So Happy The Nazi Won Virginia's GOP Senate Primary

Corey Stewart. He's who Republicans are.

This morning, President Donald Trump issued a hearty congratulations to Corey Stewart, who just last night became the Republican nominee for Virginia's Senate race, hoping to steal the seat from incumbent Democrat Tim Kaine.

Congratulations to Corey Stewart for his great victory for Senator from Virginia. Now he runs against a total stiff, Tim Kaine, who is weak on crime and borders, and wants to raise your taxes through the roof. Don't underestimate Corey, a major chance of winning!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2018

 

Gregory Schneider of the Washington Post   described Stewart as someone who will "excite the most fervent parts of the Republican base," but noted that his "identification with Trump also is likely to inspire Democratic voters to come out against him." This is putting things very lightly! Unless by "most fervent parts" he meant "literal white supremacists" and by "identification with Trump" they meant "is a literal white supremacist, or -- in the most generous of all possible readings -- just hangs out with them."

He also noted:

At Stewart's election night party at The Electric Palm Restaurant, overlooking the Occoquan River in Woodbridge, supporters erupted in cheers when he was projected the winner.

The crowd chanted "Corey, Corey!" as the loudspeaker blared "Sweet Home Alabama."

"It's definitely a positive for Virginia," said Jan Hall, who drove to the party from Midlothian. "I've been a supporter of Trump all along and Corey is on his side. I'm so glad Virginia is staying red."

The inclusion of "Sweet Home Alabama" at a celebratory party for a Virginia election is just about the least weird thing about all of this.

Stewart is the kind of candidate who, before Trump, likely never would have had a chance in a major race like this. Or hell, even a school board race. You know, back in the halcyon days when Republican nominees just dogwhistled racism rather than being super overt about it. Not Corey Stewart! He's called noted white supremacist Paul Nehlen his "hero," specifically telling him in this video below that he is "one of my personal heroes ... I can't tell you how much I was inspired by you."

He's also long been in cahoots with Jason Kessler, whom you may remember from such hits as "that time a bunch of Nazis descended on Charlottesville and then killed a woman."

Corey Stewart won his primary in Virginia to face off against Sen. Tim Kaine, eh?

Here's one of several photos of him with Jason Kessler, the white supremacist organizer of the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville.

Folks are going to have fun with this one.

Lots of fun. pic.twitter.com/CRt9TBLsfc 
— Daryle Lamont Jenkins (@DLamontJenkins) June 13, 2018 

Prior to winning this nomination, Stewart made headlines when -- while running for Governor of Virginia -- he refused to condemn the Nazis at Charlottesville, and instead wrote a long list of other things he condemned instead, things like "Fake News," The Washington Post , Terry McAuliffe, sanctuary cities, and black people who are racist to white people.

Part of the reason he and Kessler are such buds is because they share a common interest -- the Confederacy and statues thereof. They've made multiple public appearances together begging the nation not to tear their precious participation trophies down, and talking about what a great guy Robert E. Lee was.

Nothing is worse than a Yankee telling a Southerner that his monuments don't matter.
— Corey Stewart (@CoreyStewartVA) April 25, 2017 

Several months before the "Unite The Right" rally, Stewart appeared in Charlottesville with Kessler to protest the tearing down of the Robert E. Lee statue. During this event, he praised a newly formed "alt-right" group, "Unity & Security for America," for taking a stand against "real racism" -- by which he meant "racism against white people." Which we probably do not need to remind you is not a thing.

Stewart is, of course, actually from Minnesota, which makes him, I believe, a damn Yankee himself. Unless he officially sold his soul to Gwen Verdon in exchange for exemption from that status?

While mainstream Republicans, lo the past few weeks, have been touting the Jeff Flake-esque "this is not who we are!" crap, this particular election has driven many to finally understand that yes, this is in fact, who Republicans are. And that it's not getting any better.

Corey Stewart wins in Virginia.
Steve King retweets a neo-Nazi.
Paul Ryan undercuts a DACA solution.
Mitch McConnell won't defend free trade.
Donald Trump trumpets a North Korea policy of amoral weakness.
It's worth fighting for the GOP. But for now it's getting worse not better.
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) June 13, 2018 

I am extremely disappointed that a candidate like Corey Stewart could win the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. This is clearly not the Republican Party I once knew, loved and proudly served. Every time I think things can't get worse they do, and there is no end in sight.
— Bill Bolling (@lgbillbolling) June 13, 2018 

Corey Stewart will now join the likes of Todd Akin, Roy Moore, Richard Mourdock, Christine O'Donnell, & many others by being an albatross around the neck of GOPers in Virginia & beyond. Republicans were never going to beat Kaine, but it could always get worse, & it has #VASen 
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) June 13, 2018 

Yep! It's just going to keep getting worse, and quite frankly, "mainstream Republicans" have no one but themselves to blame here. All those dogwhistles, all those "welfare queen" jabs, all that Lee Atwater Southern Strategy shit, all that "states rights" shit, all those little plausibly deniable things they thought were harmless ways of assuring the bigots of the world that they were on their side, they all added up and they created monsters like Corey "Sweet Home Minnesota" Stewart. What did they think was going to happen? He is their creation, they own him, and there's no going back now. For them, anyway.

For us? We can defeat the ever-loving shit out of him in November.

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[ Washington Post ]