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Lessons of the Radical Republicans: Race, revolution and Reconstruction

Donald Trump and Abraham Lincoln | Illustration of the storming of Fort Wagner during the American Civil War, and the death of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw (atop the hill). Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images

Once upon a time in a country somewhat resembling this one, the Republican Party had a radical faction — and not because it believed in bizarre theories about election fraud or wanted to undermine democracy....

Originally posted on salon.com

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Are Democrats the “real racists”? Well, they used to be: Here’s the history

Woodrow Wilson, Joe Biden and Donald Trump Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images

Republicans have an obvious race problem — one they prefer not to admit, even to themselves. The party’s voter base is overwhelmingly white, and Republicans are now actively trying to suppress Black voters (and other voters of color) through a range of Jim Crow tactics....

Originally posted on salon.com

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An “alarming finding,” but no surprise: Many Republicans now ready to support violence

Protesters gather on the second day of pro-Trump events fueled by President Donald Trump’s continued claims of election fraud in an to overturn the results before Congress finalizes them in a joint session of the 117th Congress on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

New public opinion research from the nonprofit Public Religion Research Institute, part of its 12th annual American Values Survey, has returned alarming findings. ...

Originally posted on salon.com

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Twitter’s algorithm amplifies conservatives. It might be the mockery they inspire

Laughing at Twitter Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images

Twitter acknowledges publicly that its algorithm tends to disproportionately amplify right-wing politicians — and social media experts are quick to blame human nature for engaging more with right-wing populism than dry news coverage for the disparity.

But what if that’s not the whole truth, either?...

Originally posted on salon.com

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Trump or Obama: Whose legacy will reshape American politics for the years ahead?

Former Presidents Donald Trump and Barack Obama, with George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt haunting in the back. Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images

Strange patterns emerge from history. George Santayana famously wrote that “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” while Mark Twain supposedly  said that history “rhymes.” ...

Originally posted on salon.com

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A tale of two Romneys: Mitt Romney’s resistance to Trump comes straight from his father

Once upon a time a very long time ago (in the late 1960s), the Republican Party had a moderate and competent Midwestern governor some thought could become their presidential nominee.

He was a prosperous businessman with a reputation for bipartisanship, was impeccably honest and (according to polls) had a good chance of winning a general election....

Originally posted on salon.com

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What connects Trump’s two acquittals: The profound danger of the “Dershowitz precedent”

Donald Trump, who as president incited a riot in an effort to stay in office despite losing the 2020 election, was acquitted by the U.S. Senate on Saturday, putting an end to his second impeachment trial.

He was not acquitted because he was innocent. He was acquitted for one reason: Donald Trump and his supporters have a toxic sense of entitlement, believing that they should never lose an election....

Originally posted on salon.com

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Live updates on key 2020 congressional races: Democrats seek to shore up House majority

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., leaves her news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

According to recent reports, President Trump believes that Republicans can retake a majority in the House of Representatives in 2020. He might be the only one. Political experts largely believe that the Democrats are overwhelming favorites to retain control of the House, extending Nancy Pelosi’s speakership for one more term — which she has suggested will be her last....

Originally posted on salon.com

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