In Praise of "Hick Libs" and "Woke Yokels"

 

by Pa Rock

Bumpkin Pundit

Political attacks by Republicans usually slide quickly into name-calling because that's all they have, and this election year is certainly no exception.  Trump has attacked Kamala Harris on her race, gender,  and unusual first name - something any four-year-old can pronounce correctly but Trump can't.  He generalizes her record as being too liberal for regular Americans and calls her a "San Francisco communist."  He also likes to take swipes at her intelligence and refers to her as having a "low IQ."

If you are seeking serious policy evaluations or thoughtful comparisons of positions, don't bother listening to Trump.  He doesn't even know what those things mean.   Donald's schtick is adolescent name-calling, shameless bragging, and constant lying.

Kamala Harris's gender, mixed-race ethnicity, and background as a fairly progressive prosecutor from the Oakland area of California provide plenty of room for Trump and the GOP's insult-writers to come up with plenty of derogatory things to say about her, but coming up with ways to name-call and insult her running mate, Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota, has proven to be more challenging.

Tim Walz, like the Republican veep candidate, JD Vance, is from a working class, white family in the midwestern United States, but unlike Vance, Walz had a full career as a working professional before entering politics.  He spent more that two decades as a high school teacher and football coach, as well as a weekend warrior with the National Guard, jobs that most Americans can identify with and understand.  It was not going to be possible to paint Tim Walz as a "San Francisco communist," so the Trump GOP had to quickly come up with something just as mean-spirited and ugly, but geared more toward the rural midwest.

They have tentatively settled on two snappy slurs which are currently being field tested by the right-wing blonde news corps.   One is "hick lib," and the other is "woke yokel."  Both are easy to say and simple enough that even a MAGAt should be able to remember them.   A problem arises however with the fact that not all of us denizens of midwestern rural America feel insulted by these lame attempts at snark.  I actually think they are kind of funny and would have no problem with claiming either label for myself.

Of course, by highlighting terms like "hicks" and "yokels," the jackals who run Trump's GOP stand a risk of pissing off his rabid hillbilly base, and if Walmart shoppers turn on the elderly convicted felon, he will be in real political trouble.

Unlike Trump, that would be truly rich!