Eliot Fuller is a sophomore journalism major at MU. He is an opinion columnist who writes about politics and societal observations for The Maneater.
Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene struck a nerve with many Americans last May when she likened a congressional mask mandate to the treatment of European Jews during the Holocaust.
Her comments received backlash from elected officials on both sides of the political spectrum, but such inflammatory and controversial language implies that this comparison was made to rile up her base.
Ironically, last month, Greene was spotted at a Georgia airport with her mask on. Admittedly, she didn’t have much of a choice, but it’s worth noting that she didn’t complain or throw a tantrum the way you might expect. She wasn’t enraged like she often is on camera. She didn’t whine about the policy like she does when people interview her. She was simply complying with the rules.
It seems as though when the eyes of America aren’t on her, she drops the performative act. When the media is out of sight, she doesn’t spew fake outrage. As soon as the cameras go away, Marjorie Taylor Greene puts on a mask and quietly complies. Incidents like this aren’t isolated — in fact, they’re part of a larger trend within the Republican Party, as many elected officials dabble in anti-vaccine rhetoric that typically gets support from their base. This begs the question — is the fiery rhetoric and fearmongering about COVID-19 protocols genuine, or is it just a ploy for votes and attention?
Take a look at Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who frequently expresses disdain for mask mandates in his state’s schools. He uses fiery language ubiquitous in our political climate to describe such policies, making his opposition to them clear — something that emboldens his supporters. It’s worth noting, however, that his children attend a private school where masks — you guessed it — are required.
It’s almost as if Cruz and Greene both plaster fake outrage all over cable news to throw their base a bone, provoking them with buzzwords to maintain their support, while privately going against many of the ideas being promoted.
Speaking of cable news, Tucker Carlson spends a great deal of his primetime slot on Fox News spreading vaccine misinformation. This never fails to rile up his viewers, many of whom are already likely to be vaccine-hesitant. The irony here is that over 90% of Fox employees are vaccinated, and the organization actually adapted a similar method to President Joe Biden’s new federal vaccine mandate for businesses. Fox asks for employees to be vaccinated or face daily health screenings — yet Carlson is the main opposer of similar policies being implemented by Democrats. Fox News promotes anti-vaccine messages nightly, contradicting what appears to be their own beliefs on the matter.
Recently, someone in the Republican Party took a different approach. At a rally in late August, former President Donald Trump split with many of his GOP colleagues and encouraged his supporters to get vaccinated. He was quickly met with boos from the crowd in Alabama. Both Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence received the vaccine and verbally affirmed its safety and effectiveness.
Unfortunately, the previously described incidents reveal that it might have been smarter for them to avoid vaccine encouragement — purely from a strategic standpoint. Such rhetoric obviously does not sit well with their base. In general, it’s surprising that between Greene, Cruz and Carlson, few supporters have called out the clear hypocrisy. Can’t they see that this anti-mask, anti-vaccine rhetoric is performative?
To keep an electorate in one’s good graces, it must be catered to. Politicians have to conform to its standards. They have to be who the electorate wants them to be, as shown by the actions of Greene, Cruz and Fox News. The Republican Party created a monster they can no longer control, and now many elected officials are left scrambling to please their enraged bases. It’s their only way to hold on to power — they have no choice but to fall in line. As a result, the American people are left to watch endless political theater play out in the media, as prominent Republicans neglect their own beliefs while bowing to supporters.
If these individuals had any morals, they would side with their conscience and choose country over party. If they realize deep down that the vaccine is safe and effective, they need to have the courage to say it, even if it ruffles a few feathers. It could quite literally save lives. Getting the vaccine is the best way to protect yourself against COVID-19, and even if this hasn’t been expressed by some Republican officials, it is still true.
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Edited by Sarah Rubinstein | srubinstein@themaneater.com
