The Next Social Media Star?
by James A. Bacon
From pink pussy hats to anti-Israel chants, Democrats and leftists have long excelled at performative politics. Republicans and conservatives tend to be the ones to uphold convention. Admittedly, no one can put on a show like President Trump, and the shaman with the bull-horn hat during the January 6 riot made a lasting impression. But as a generality, you don’t hang out with conservatives with the expectation of enjoying raucous entertainment.
I don’t know if Shamcar Connors is the exception who proves the rule or a sign that conservatives are mastering political performance art at long last, but the man knows how to grab peoples’ attention. By the throat. And not let go.
Connors, whose travails we described three years ago when his refusal to take the COVID vaccinated blocked him from getting a kidney transplant, has always been outspoken. When he delivered public comments critical of transgender girls in the girls’ bathroom to the Stafford County School Board, he stood out from the crowd. A weightlifter gifted with a muscular physique and bass voice, he came dressed as a “transgender female Olympic swimmer.” In a swimming suit. With bright rainbow colors. View video of his comments above.
Some in the audience were undoubtedly appalled. His satire stomped on delicate sensibilities and left them bleeding on the ground. But it appears that many Stafford residents agree with Connors, and they let him know it. He says students attending the hearing asked to pose with him for photos. And when asked if they wanted “boys using the girls’ bathroom,” he adds, “the girls screamed NO!”
In the age of social media, we’ve come a long way from the quiet dignity of Norman Rockwell’s classic painting, “Freedom of Speech.”
