THE RIGHT DOESN'T HAVE POLICIES, BUT IT DOES HAVE A LOT OF CATCHPHRASES

You probably know about this, which happened at a restaurant in my neighborhood that caters to a lot of tourists:

A hostess at a well-known New York City restaurant was attacked just for asking to see a group's proof of COVID vaccination, a requirement to dine inside in the city.

Exclusive cellphone video obtained by NBC New York shows the Thursday evening attack outside Carmine's Restaurant on the Upper West Side. Around 5 p.m., tempers flared and the hostess stand is nearly tipped over in the mayhem, with a waiter at one point helping carry someone away from the scene.

The 22-year-old hostess asked the group of Texans to show proof of getting the COVID vaccine in order to dine in the restaurant, part of NYC's executive order that went into effect this week. Law enforcement sources said that the hostess was then repeatedly punched in the face and body, and sent to the hospital.

Video shows Carmine's hostess being assaulted over NYC COVID vaccine requirement. https://t.co/mNhCnObOMJ pic.twitter.com/PbQxB84r3b

— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) September 17, 2021

Gateway Pundit's coverage of this story is on message:

The real shocking and tragic situation is forcing these hourly employees to segregate on behalf of the tyrannical health regime.

... Another viral incident from a NYC restaurant shows a black family being refused service and being forced to leave over the draconian vaccination policy.

The most disappointing part is the reaction by his fellow citizens around him; When he asks them if they are okay with the un-American segregation – a man flips him the middle finger and says yes.

The unmasked would-be patron in that incident used the word "segregation" is his rant.

Dear black people, woke white liberals will not bat an eye when you are kicked out and excluded from public accommodations for being “unvaccinated” welcome to legalized segregation pic.twitter.com/BTvCjNRKg6

— Nuance Bro (@NuanceBro) September 16, 2021

It didn't impress the other diners -- but it impresses right-wingers all over America.

As soon as New York City announced its restrictions on indoor dining by the unvaccinated, in early August, the right began referring to the policy as "segregation." This is how the right operates. Right-wingers have no policy ideas that might be effective for dealing with the COVID pandemic, or with any of America's other problems. What the right puts its energy into is devising memes and catchphrases that allow the base to feel clever and self-righteous while rejecting liberal and moderate ideas. If the catchphrases turn a liberal weapon on liberals, so much the better. (See: critical race theory is racism; attacks on Sarah Palin are sexism; etc., etc.) But any catchphrase will do. (Asking my vaccine status is a HIPAA violation!)

Easily remembered pseudo-ideas build brand loyalty. They're why less extreme right-wingers will never abandon the GOP -- when the message that Democrats/liberals/leftists are evil is pounded into your head in vivid and memorable ways around the clock every day, even the Republican policies you object to aren't going to make you rethink a straight party-line vote in every election. This approach isn't good for America, but for Republicans, it works.