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We “rethink the week” with Valerie Endress, Professor of Political Communication at Rhode Island College; Dean Spiliotes, Professor and Civic Scholar at Southern NH University; and Mark Fernald, attorney and former gubernatorial candidate in New Hampshire.
We discuss how Pres. Trump has become a leader in the white supremacist movement, constantly emphasizing the “Great Replacement” talking points. He plays to the fears of white voters as the U.S. is on the verge of becoming a majority minority country. Will his strategy be successful in 2020?
What will the Democrats do to overcome that strategy? Will voters support a potential Democratic campaign that highlights an alternative vision for who we are as a country? What if the Dems take the high road, and appeal to hope and honesty, reminding us of the humanity in all of us, advocating policies grounded in compassion and moral values (doing the “right thing”)?
We also talk about the imminent narrowing of the field of Democratic candidates for president. What should we make of a candidate’s lack of political (or executive) experience? Should we support a candidate who claims to be a “political outsider”? Does that phrase have any meaning in today’s world? Donald Trump had never held political office before he ran in 2016, but he certainly had connections with a lot of powerful (and wealthy) people.
Finally, we discuss Jeffrey Epstein’s death in prison. What was the role of the Department of Justice or of Epstein’s well-connected friends/customers? Our focus on this and similar questions should not distract us from making sure that Epstein’s estate and his cronies are held fully accountable for their heinous acts.
