Using the term ‘Nazi’ flippantly also runs the risk of distracting us from more pressing matters
Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, in New York on Oct. 27.If not for the nonstop shockers of the Donald Trump era – which seem to have acclimatized civil society to way-below-the-belt politics – the scene on Sunday would be almost unbelievable, as a Trump rally skid off the rails into a six-hour circus.
Some, including high-level Democrats, quickly made the comparison between this event and another notorious political rally at the same venue, more than 85 years ago. On Feb. 20, 1939, the German American Bund hosted a self-billed “Mass Demonstration for True Americanism” at Madison Square Garden, tying it to a celebration of George Washington’s birthday two days later. The New York Times reported at the time that 22,000 people attended.
By trying to find parallels to 1939, well-meaning critics invite accusations of hyperbole, overreach, hysteria. Case in point: Mr. Trump on Monday claimed that Ms. Harris has said anyone who doesn’t vote for her, have dismissed the accusations as ridiculous. The term “Nazi” is indeed a distraction in this instance, even for those of us who believe Mr. Trump could fairly be called a fascist, as his former chief of staff.
Even if it was unsurprising by MAGA standards, perhaps this rally will turn out to be the October surprise that pundits have been waiting for – a last-minute event that has a big effect on the election result. Perhaps some voters can still be swayed from Mr. Trump’s odious message, even if he and his ever-changing team have shown us again and again who and what they are. What happened on Sunday should matter.
Column Opinion Marsha Lederman Lederman
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