Richard Spencer Quotes A Jewish, Gay Composer When Trying To Invoke Nazis
White supremacist and anti-Semite Richard Spencer isn’t having a great week.
Nope, he wasn’t punched in the face again — but he did lose tax-exempt status for his National Policy Institute “think tank” and accidentally tweeted out a song written by a Jewish, gay composer.
It all started when Josh Marshall, editor of Talking Points Memo, told Spencer over Twitter to take his “trash philosophy back to the 1930s.” Spencer responded: “1930s? No, tomorrow belongs to us” and then posted a clip of the “Cabaret” song “Tomorrow Belongs To Me”
On the surface, the song, sung by a Nazi youth and known as the unofficial anthem for white supremacists, is pretty fitting.
Then, came a response from Jason Kander, nephew of John Kander, the song’s composer. Jason Kander is a Democratic politician and Army veteran from Missouri who narrowly lost a race to represent the state in the United States senate in November. He’s considered a rising Democratic party star.
“Hey buddy, that song you love was written by my uncle. He’s been married to my other uncle for 40 years. And he’s a Jew. Sing it proud.”
Oh yeah, and bonus points, Kadner added that it was his uncle’s 90th birthday that day.
His tweet has since garnered almost 127,000 likes — and a whole lot of happy commentators.
“Best. Tweet. Ever.”
@JasonKander Best. Tweet. Ever.
— Anita Creamer (@AnitaCreamer) March 18, 2017
“Not all Nazi-punching is physical. Well done, sir.”
@JasonKander Not all Nazi-punching is physical. Well done, sir.
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) March 18, 2017
“I love how Richard Spencer can love Cabaret and somehow not realize it’s like the gayest musical ever, in a good way.”
@JasonKander I love how Richard Spencer can love Cabaret and somehow not realize it’s like the gayest musical ever, in a good way
— Benjamin Schouten (@benGSchout) March 18, 2017
Maybe time for a new Nazi anthem?
Thea Glassman is an Associate Editor at the Forward. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter at @theakglassman.
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.
If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO