This is a twisted and somewhat confusing tale of peak caucasity, white nationalism in American government and an epic claim of “not all white people” based on the name of one white man’s son. Pay close attention.
U.S. Rep. Scott Taylor is a Republican congressman from Virginia who is up for reelection in November. At a crowded cupcake shop on Saturday, his Democratic opponent—Elaine Luria—stood with former Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Tim Kaine and accused Taylor of supporting GOP Senate candidate Corey Stewart, according to The Virginian-Pilot. Stewart is a known supporter of Donald Trump with ties to other lawmakers with white nationalist and anti-Semitic views. Stewart has been described as a neo-Confederate who supports the alt-right.
Luria and Kaine called for Taylor to denounce Stewart, saying if he doesn’t do so, it means he stands with him and his beliefs.
“He should reject the fact that Corey Stewart stands next to racists and anti-Semites,” Luria said. “If he doesn’t have the fortitude to reject those values, then I think he stands with him.”
In response, Taylor shot back at his opponent’s comments and told the Virginian-Pilot that Democrats are “stupid” if they think voters in his district see him as an ally of the GOP’s Senate nominee.
“I don’t give a shit about Corey Stewart,” Taylor said. “No one else does either except for Democrats who are trying to target me. … No one cares, except for a small teeny amount of people you met at the cupcake place. What are they trying to say? That Scott Taylor likes Corey Stewart so therefore he’s a racist? Do you think that’s going to play here? My son is named after a black guy. I’m a military guy. We don’t give a shit about where you come from. Black, white, brown, gay, straight. I don’t care.”
For the tl;dr crowd, Taylor said there is no way he can be a racist because his son is named after a black man.
Taylor’s son is named Sterling. It’s not the blackest name ever, but I guess?
Seems like it would be a lot easier for Taylor to say he doesn’t support Stewart. After all, the Virginian-Pilot reports that he has not even decided if he will endorse Stewart or not.
For his part, Stewart has already alienated many other Republicans with his “strident views and angry rhetoric” as the Virginian-Pilot puts it. Linking Taylor to Stewart and Trump is an obvious offensive measure on the part of Luria, but one that could work for her in the long run because who wants to vote for someone openly tied to white supremacy and white nationalism among other things?
Oh, wait. Never mind.
Either way, whether or not your son is named after a black man has absolutely no bearing on whether or not you are a supporter of white supremacy and white nationalism.