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Princeton Historian Schools ‘National Review’ Writer On Civil Rights History

by Sara Jerde

10.19.15 | 10:49 am

U.S. President Richard Nixon at a news conference in Washington, D.C., March 4, 1969. (AP Photo)

A Princeton historian taught a writer from conservative “National Review” a lesson Sunday — on Twitter.

Historian Kevin M. Kruse responded to a tweet from “Review” writer Kevin D. Williamson about the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Here is the exchange from Storify:

Here are some of Williamson’s responses:

@DC4L60 @KevinMKruse @LOLGOP Main GOP failing on that front is that it’s always looking for a stopping point before it is time.

— Kevin D. Williamson (@KevinNR) October 19, 2015

@DC4L60 @KevinMKruse @LOLGOP Yeah, yeah. GOP record on the issue is in fact pretty good all the way through.

— Kevin D. Williamson (@KevinNR) October 19, 2015

@SilentMars @KevinMKruse The actual shift began in the 1930s, but never mind reality, right?

— Kevin D. Williamson (@KevinNR) October 19, 2015

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Sara Jerde Sara Jerde is a newswriter based in New York. Her bylines have appeared in The Star-Ledger, The Chronicle of Higher Education and The Columbus Dispatch. She graduated from Ohio University. Send emails to sara@talkingpointsmemo.com and follow her @SaraJerde.

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chammy says:

October 19, 2015

That was so sweet!! The one thing GOPers excel at and that is lying
tomdibble says:

October 19, 2015

So basically, National Review writer makes stupid and unsubstantiated point on history he only barely comprehends, is thoroughly refuted by an actual historian, then responds by agreeing with himself and ignoring the historian altogether, pretending like everyone agrees on his main point and there are just silly quibbles around the edges.

Yup, sounds about par for the course, typical of right wing echo-chamber politics at least since the 1990s, and tracing roots back much further than that (not that history before the Clinton Dark Ages actually, you know, counts or anything).
imkmu3 says:

October 19, 2015

Twitter and Schooled–two words that should never be used together.
canadian says:

October 19, 2015

Thank you Prof. Kruse! Now send some tweets to Joe Scarborough and company.
weatherservo9 says:

October 19, 2015

Nixon kept a unicorn in the White House and Henry Kissinger commuted to work every day on a rainbow. Refute that, historian!

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