In The SPLC is hoist by its own petard, I wrote of Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) expertly getting SPLC head Bryan Fair to sort of disown Graham Platner, the Nazi-tattoed Maine Democrat nominee for the Senate. Fair really didn’t want to, but it was too much for the SPLC to be seen as supporting the very people they supposedly fight against.

Advertisement

The phrase, by the way, comes from Hamlet and means blown up—hoist—by one’s own bomb, or more contemporarily, defeating yourself, which Gill delightfully forced Fair to do.

But Gill wasn’t the only Republican who masterfully forced Gill to sort of live up to the professed values of his organization.

Advertisement

You really have to watch the clip [take the link] to truly get the sense of how unresponsive Fair — who, in my estimation, should consider renaming himself to “Unfair” — was to the questions. He would frequently sip water, stare off into space, deliver lingering pauses instead of answers, and dodge issues by saying legal counsel would address many of the allegations at a later date.

Fair used variations of this line over and over: “Again, [Mr. Jordan], those issues will be resolved in the pending allegations against the SPLC.”

Advertisement

We did get an answer on this one, though. "Did you do it all for the money?" Jordan demanded.  

Fair: "As we sat in our public statement, Chairman Jordan, we did it to protect our staff and to protect the public."

Advertisement

You allegedly funded racist groups to protect your staff and the public? Right. Actually, I think you were doing better when you simply ignored the questions.

This is where Fair jumped from panic and distraction straight into insanity and desperation

Advertisement

Graphic: X Post

Advertisement

They indeed gasped, and Jordan chuckled. He doesn’t normally miss opportunities like this, but Jordan didn’t ask follow-up questions, such as:

“And which agencies might those be?”

“How do agencies X, Y, and Z demonstrate hate and extremism?”

“You’re just saying that to divert attention from your own crimes, aren’t you?” and:

“You’re really just upset because Democrats aren’t running those agencies anymore and they aren’t covering for you. They can’t keep you from being investigated and prosecuted. That’s it, isn’t it?”

That’s certainly it. The government is no longer conspiring with and covering for the crimes of the SPLC, whose employees not only paid racists to promote racism, but one of their employees bedded one of those racists who was paid more than a million dollars—allegedly, of course.

To be completely fair to Fair, his accusations were a spinal reflex. When Democrats, and particularly black Democrats, find themselves under the spotlight, their arguments exposed as mendacious nonsense, their credibility in tatters, or they’re facing the possibility of financial ruin and prison time, they always scream racism, which implies hate. To them, Normal Americans quietly going about their lives are extremists, and so is anyone who disagrees with them in any way. 

If and when officers and operatives of the SPLC are convicted, and the SPLC is shut down—oh please, oh please--the race card, which is increasingly declined everywhere, will be played again.

Become a subscriber and get our weekly Friday newsletter with unique content from our editors. These essays alone are worth the cost of the subscription. 

Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, lifelong athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer, and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.