Watching Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) misbehave at the Feb. 7 State of the Union Speech spoke volumes about her inability to control herself, a real problem for the Republican Party. Greene was seen blurting out inappropriate comments throughout 80-year-old President Joe Biden’s speech, resembling more a campaign stump speech than an honest appraisal of the nation. During the speech, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) could be seen signaling to Greene to tone it down, all falling on deaf ears. What’s abundantly clear is Greene can’t control herself, not because she’s ill-bred or doesn’t understand protocol but because she’s got some kind of impulse control problems that prevents he from showing restraint. Democrat strategist 78-year-old James Carville called Greene “white trash” for her heckling during Biden’s hour-plus State-of-the-Union Speech.
Carville likes to put things in the most base terms accusing Greene of being a “white trash,” a kind of old fashion term used by blacks and other minorities to disparage white people without proper breeding, poor people growing up in trailer parks or other pockets of poverty. “I tell people I have the equivalent of a Ph.D. in white trashology, and we saw real white trash on display,” Carville told MSNBC’s Ari Melber, who happens to be Jewish. Instead to reminding Carville that network or cable TV tries to avoid prejudicial labels, especially when applied to minorities. Greene has shown a propensity to embrace conspiracy theories like QAnon, a group claiming that a pedophile cult led by former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton exists in Washington. Carville likes to quip and make jokes but calling Greene “white trash” reflects badly on his reckless use of language.
Whatever Greene’s problems, and there are many, ripping her for the way she dresses hits way below the belt for someone who should know better. She “dresses like white trash” and should take her fashion lessons from Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) who Democrats have targeted since he was sworn in Jan. 4. Santos, who misrepresented his resume, has been the butt of Democrat and Republican jokes since admitting much of his background was fabricated. Carville conflates Santos with Greene, deliberately making her look like a loon with other members of the GOP caucus. “The level of white trashdom is the Republican Party is staggering,” said Carville, overplaying the “white trash” card about Greene and other Republicans. Carville seems to be describing himself while slamming Greene and other Republicans. Whatever’s wrong with Greene, Carville doesn’t have to use the “white trash” stereotype.
Carville shows he’s part of a different, less politically correct era, where racial and ethnic stereotypes were used freely, without any regard to proper speech. “I mean, for somebody that has observed it for a long time like I have, I’ve never seen it manifest itself on a level that is manifesting itself,” Carville said, calling names but not shedding any light on what may be wrong with Greene. For all Carville knows the 48-year-old Georgia congresswoman may suffer from bipolar disorder or some other biological disorder, like Tourette’s Syndrome, that inhibits normal restraints. Screaming out “liar” at Biden’s State of the Union speech speaks volumes about how Greene handles her emotions, letting it all hang out regardless of how inappropriate. McCarthy tried to stop Greene from his podium without much success. Greene couldn’t stop herself from blurting out inappropriate things.
Carville trashed the type of candidates fielded by Republicans in 2022 Midterm elections, saying they were “very low-quality candidates,” giving a rather feeble explanation. “They have a lot of stupid people that vote in their primaries. They really do. I’m not really supposed to say that, but it’s an obvious fact. And you know, when stupid people vote, you know who they nominate? Other stupid people,” Carville said, showing why he’s not really taken seriously by Democrats or Republicans. Carville helped get former President Bill Clinton elected, at a time when he was in his prime, in his late 40s. Thirty years later, Carville displays the same kind of impulsiveness as Greene and other members of the GOP extreme right wing, like Rep. Lauren Boebart (R-Co.) who barely won reelection. Carville’s from an old school of political consultants that went by their own rules.
Whatever example Marjorie Taylor Greene set at the State of the Union, it only reflects on her deficits that can’t be blamed on other Republicans or their constituents.
Calling her “white trash” shows the kind of tactics once used by old school political consultants like Carville that used racial epithets to disparage ooponents “If the American people had been on the House floor listening to that speech, it would have been a lot worse than I called him,” Greene said, trying to justify he inexcusable behavior. “Not one single bit I have the speakers support, and he has mine,” Greene said, asked whether she was concerned about some reprimand. Green knows that McCarthy tried to stop her outbursts throughout the speech, knowing how badly it looks on camera. Greene doesn’t have a clue how badly it reflects on the GOP that she can’t control her outbursts in front of a national TV audience.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
