• Sparking@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    The hit parade on Joe Arpaio is pretty long. He is pretty famous for tent city and the racial profiling, but there is so much more. This one is probably my favorite, when he put out a hit on himself as a publicity stunt. The systemic refusal to investigate reported rapes is also particularly nasty.

    I know people who wanted to vote for him again, but just said that he was too old. This was after he was convicted of a felony contempt in court and then was pardoned by trump for no reason. The dude truly is an American villain.

    • VikingHippie@lemmy.wtf
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      1 year ago

      Yeah, I wasn’t being hyperbolic when I said that supporting him is a sign of insanity, it literally is. The kind that comes from decades of targeted brainwashing by the party itself as well as the reality-averse far right media echo chamber 😮‍💨

      • Sparking@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        I think a lot of generally racist people got caught up in the fantasy. He successfully portrayed himself as a lawman - a western Sheriff modeled after Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp. Writing wrongs, forming posses… etc. Of course, he didn’t do any actual police work, and tent city is was pretty much a child’s sense of justice. But tons of people collectively ate it up.

        I remember having a conversation with someone and him saying proudly that his dad was in the “Sheriff’s Posse” back when Arpaio was still in charge. I was pretty disgusted, but he loved it. Right over his head.

        The politics in Maricopa county has luckily shifted, thanks in no small part to a lot of dedicated political organizers getting out the vote to non-traditional voters. Joe still runs for positions - outside candidate for republican senator nomination, mayor of fountain hills… But he doesn’t really have a chance to win. I guess he is too proud to stop. Even his fans - and they are fans, not supporters - just kind of want him to retire at this point. He is in his 90s.