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

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

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  1. Avatar for chammy chammy says:

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

  2. 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).

  3. Avatar for imkmu3 imkmu3 says:

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

  4. Thank you Prof. Kruse! Now send some tweets to Joe Scarborough and company.

  5. 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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