by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner
According to the book, “The Field of Blood,” in the antebellum Congress, using the term “doughface” on someone might get you punched. The term refered to a Northern Democrat who sucked up to Slave Power for the sake of national unity.
The term comes from a children’s game where you were a “dough face” in an effort to scare people.
Anyway, I think we should use the term “doughface” to describe people like Mike Pence who are willing to absolutely prostrate themselves at the altar of mailigant ding-dong Donald Trump.
Of course, no one listens to me. If they did, we would be using the term “Vichy Republicans” to refer to these type of people already. I will note, however, that reading The Field of Blood reminds me of how similar today’s politics are to those of the antebellum world.
It’s somewhat eerie. I think it comes from how America is careening towards an existential choice of autocracy or civil war in late 2024, early 2025 and, as such, form follows function.
