Woke up this morning to this. I don’t have a lot to say about it because there’s not much to say. After Tim Scott (R-S.C.) gave his speech, CNN’s Chris Cuomo commented that, “they’re carrying water for him,” referring to the collection of gaslighters and Stockholm Syndrome sufferers the RNC paraded in front of the camera.
Because the statement occurred after a black man appeared on camera, some folks apparently saw the statement as racist. As for who these folks are, FOX cites an opinion columnist on Rupert Murdoch’s payroll, who made her statement in response to a tweet by former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell, and the actor Robert Davi.
I’m unable to find an authoritative source that speaks to the origins of this idiom, but FOX News doesn’t cite any source on this, either. Its attack on Cuomo is predicated on some people feeling that the statement was racist.
It’s worthwhile to note this attack because one of the major themes of the RNC, as evidenced by, according to my observations, all of last night’s speakers, is the threat presented by fictional cancel culture. Each speaker dedicated at least a few sentences to how nebulous forces on “the left” are trying to shut conservative speakers out of the public square by, e.g., attacking what they say as racist.
I don’t know if the idiom is racist or not, but neither does FOX News. But the latter is clearly pushing to create another double standard. Idiomatically, that’s par for the course.