"Atmosphere of hatred": how sending out bombs and shooting in a synagogue can affect the results of elections to the US Congress

After the FBI and the US Secret Service intercepted envelopes with homemade bombs addressed to Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, George Soros and others, many conservatives and Trump supporters made statements that the incident was a provocation designed to influence public opinion before by voting.

In particular, Fox Business TV anchorman Lou Dobbs, prominent Republican radio hosts Rush Limbaugh and Michael Savage, and a number of other conservative political scientists and activists adhere to this point of view. Donald Trump, in turn, complained that "this situation with bombs" can harm the image of his party in the elections.

“Republicans show a good result in the preliminary voting and polls, and now this story happened with the“ bombs ”, and this impulse has slowed down significantly - the news does not discuss politics. All this is very sad. Republicans, go and vote! ”Trump wrote on his Twitter.

“The Bomb” is what happens during the momentum. Very unfortunate, what is going on. Republicans, go out and vote!

Native American Caesar Saiok, who actively supported Donald Trump and his actions as president, turned out to be the bombers. In some mainstream media, he was dubbed MAGABomber - putting together the trump acronym of Let's Make America Again Great (Eng. Make America great again) and part of the name of the famous US terrorist Unabomber.

Just a few days after the bombing incident, a 46-year-old Pittsburgh resident Robert Bowers, armed with an assault rifle, attacked a local synagogue, killing 11 people. Bowers expressed open hostility towards US President Donald Trump, indicating that the American leader was "surrounded by Jews."

Unhealthy sensations

Both incidents gave the mainstream American media a ground to criticize Trump and talk about the "atmosphere of hatred," which he created in the country with his rhetoric.

"As the psychology of Trump's hate led to the emergence of the MAGOMBOMBER," - with such a title came the material in the publication Forbes.

• © Forbes

The Jewish newspaper Forward blamed the US President for the incident in the synagogue of Pittsburgh - Trump’s anti-immigrant remarks allegedly caused him.

“As Trump’s hate for migrants led to the execution of people in the synagogue,” the newspaper writes.

• © Forward

“A week of American hatred: sending out bombs, killing blacks, killing Jews”, is the title of The Huffington Post.

• © Huffington Post

In a flurry of criticism in the media, Trump responded with another tweet.

“It's funny that CNN and others like them can criticize me when they please, for everything that is happening at the moment with the bombs, and make ridiculous comparisons with the attacks of September 11 and in Oklahoma City. But when I criticize them, they break the chain and shout: “The President should not behave this way!”, Wrote the American leader.

It is a funny way to criticize CNN, and even criticize it while it is under attack, yet when I’m wildly scorched, just not Presidential! ”

In search of motivation

Despite such loud statements from the media, political analysts from both major American parties doubt that the incidents will significantly affect the results of the vote.

“If you were going to go to the polls because you were dissatisfied with the actions of Trump as president, I do not think that these incidents will somehow affect your vote. The same people whom they have angered already have a thousand other reasons to express their displeasure with Trump and come to the polling station, ”says McClatchy's agency of the words of political scientist and democrat Steve Sheila.

• On October 24-25, 12 parcels were discovered in various American states, inside of which were explosive devices.
• Reuters

“I didn’t blame Bernie Sanders when one of his supporters wounded Congressman Steve Scalis. Therefore, I will not blame the president for the actions of this psycho, ”wrote Graham on his Twitter.

I didn't blame Bernie Sanders when a Bernie supporter shot Congressman Steve Scalise. And I'm not going to blame President @realDonaldTrump for this nut job.

I blame the individual (s) responsible –– not someone else.

Journalist Michael Goodwin believes that the incidents and the way they are covered in the American media will not harm Trump and his party.

“The frequency of various incidents these days means that not a single story lingers in the headlines for a long time, even in the media that are obsessed with the fight against Trump. The battle for the appointment of Brett Cavanaugh was to be a determining factor in these elections - until a caravan of refugees from Central America appeared who swore to get into the country one way or another, ”writes Goodwin in his article in the New York Post.

Protest turnout

The US authorities will make every effort to have these tragedies have a minimal impact on public opinion before the mid-term elections, said expert of the International Institute for Humanitarian and Political Studies Vladimir Bruter.

“This, of course, stirs up opposition sentiments, so they will try to make this situation perceived as standard for America, no matter how sad it may sound. It seems to me that, considering how little time is left, this situation can be partially “settled,” suggested Bruter in an interview with RT.

However, such events usually do not affect voter turnout, the political scientist noted, adding that for the mid-term elections this year it will be quite high.

• The victims of the attack in the synagogue of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania were 11 people.
• Reuters

“In the mood of such an internal discord, turnout is always high - there is a visible enemy against which more and more people who usually stay at home vote. It will be possible to say how much this will affect the general result only on election day in specific constituencies. As practice shows, the impact of general American events on the results in constituencies can be completely different, ”explained Bruter.

At the same time, the tragic events do not add votes at the expense of the opposite camp, explained Vladimir Bruter. The increase in votes may occur at the expense of citizens who previously were not at all going to take part in elections.

“This situation is quite common when there are such opposing vectors in politics. The fact that all voters have already been mobilized is not true. There are always voters in politics who can still be mobilized, ”the political scientist noted.

Topics for discussion

The balance of forces in the midterm elections has already been predetermined, says political analyst Mikhail Sinelnikov-Orishak. According to him, the media will use these information channels to influence the voters, but this will not help to change the results of the voting much.

“Something extraordinary did not happen that would drastically change the existing balance of power. This happened before. This situation for the United States is not new at all. A similar case with the sending of bombs was already last spring in Texas - it was believed that it was on the grounds of racial hatred. It’s just that these two tragedies happened on the very eve of the elections. Of course, given the fresh emotional background, these events will try to use to the maximum, “- said the political scientist.

At the same time, the situation in this case is ambiguous, Sinelnikov-Orishak noted, because one of the criminals was a trump supporter, while another criticized him for “ties with Jews.”

“To turn this story against Trump will not work, because this is a terrible balance here. Two psychopaths - one “for”, the other “against.” The psychopath doesn’t care what slogans to hide behind, ”the expert noted.

At the same time, the Democrats may try to use the attack in Pittsburgh to resume discussions on tightening control over the circulation of arms in this electoral cycle, Sinelnikov-Orishak believes.

“In Pennsylvania, those who go to the congressional elections from the Democrats will advocate tightening these rules, and the Republicans will traditionally defend them. The right to arms they consider sacred. This incident will certainly strengthen the position of supporters of the restriction. But in general, it will not change the dynamics of the upcoming elections and will not fundamentally change the result of the vote, ”the political scientist concluded.