Democrats brought dog whistles to tonight’s debate to troll the GOP
Democratic National Committee spokesman TJ Helmstetter showing off a dog whistle backstage at the Republican presidential primary debate in New Hampshire on Feb. 6, 2016. (Photo: Hunter Walker/Yahoo News)
MANCHESTER, N.H. — Democratic National Committee spokesman TJ Helmstetter came to the Republican presidential primary debate at Saint Anselm College here on Saturday night with several dog whistles. Helmstetter told Yahoo News he brought them as props to represent the “divisive” tactics employed by the GOP in sending so-called “dog-whistle” messages to the conservative base. He proceeded to rattle off a series of examples that he said proved his point.
“From Reagan’s welfare queens to George H.W. Bush’s Willie Horton ad, divisive dog-whistle politics have been a staple of the Republicans’ communications strategy for decades,” Helmstetter said. “Tonight, when you hear Ted Cruz talk about ‘New York values,’ or Jeb Bush talk about ‘anchor babies,’ or when you hear Marco Rubio say President Obama’s pitting people against each other by visiting a mosque, remember, it’s all part of the GOP strategy to stoke fear and divide Americans for political gain. … Americans deserve better.”
The Democratic and Republican parties have made a deal under which they send representatives to each other’s debates to speak with supporters. This isn’t the first time one of these operatives has brought a prop along to mock rivals. In December, Sean Spicer, the Republican National Committee chief strategist and communications director, brought bottles of 5-Hour Energy to a Democratic debate at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire. Spicer quipped that reporters might need the energy drink to stay awake during the forum.
Helmstetter told Yahoo News he visited several local pet stores to find the dog whistles he brought to the debate. He said the whistles got a laugh from the Secret Service agents who checked his bag when he headed in to the event.
