Just a week ago, your humble author noted a marked increase in the acceptance of violent rhetoric and and warned of “fringe individuals who live in political echo chambers who are likely to do something stupid”. Less than a week after posting, there was an attempted assassination of Donald Trump. Initial reporting on the shooter suggests that the shooter was a loner of the “school shooter” variety, rather than some dedicated ANTIFA or other Leftwing nutball. The actual reason for the assassination attempt does not, and can not, detract from the very basic fact that that it must be condemned without reservation. Let us also not forget the other victims, either.
There were, unsurprisingly, plenty of anecdotes of “undecideds” or people who were planning to skip the that line on the ballot suddenly coming out as newborn die-hard Trump supporters. However, this was far from a universal observation—both online and in the real world. You humble author previously noted that so many voters are treating the election like a non-event and seem almost indifferent to an extent hitherto not seen in modern era politics. But people are being swamped with more politics than ever by a smaller number of people than ever. They’ve stopped caring, and the people responsible don’t care. This disinterest is real and may not be accurately measurable. Case in point:
What worries me less than the crazy leftists is the lumpen mass of the American people. My apolitical friend was completely disinterested in the assassination attempt on Trump. I suspect she’s not alone.
— Andrea Widburg (@Bookwormroom) July 14, 2024
It’s telling that people are choosing indifference over siding against one side or the other. The “double-haters” are real and it’s a sign of the sad state of politics today that not even an assassination attempt of a former President and current major party Presidential nominee is enough to get them to care. From an electoral standpoint, this assassination attempt will likely help with turning out Trumps voters and push some “double-hater” likely voters to vote for Trump rather than skip the ballot or vote for Biden. But this will be marginal, though margins matter a lot, just as they did in the previous two Presidential elections.
Before the motive of the assassin was even known, rhetoric on social media by the Right placed the blame, not on the shooter, but on Biden and the Democrats in general for hyperbolic rhetoric about how Trump will be a dictator or become the new Hitler. Your humble author yet again notes that less than a week ago condemnation of over the top violent rhetoric and fearmongering would lead to an escalation of violence was made, and a call for people to get out of their bubble fear and vitriol and touch proverbial (or not so proverbial) grass.
And yes, this was a condemnation of the violent rhetoric and violent actions from the fringe of both sides. And for that condemnation, typically sensible people became incensed that the Right was not blameless in the increased ratcheting of fearmongering and violent rhetoric, or that it didn’t matter because the Left started it or was worse.
