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Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz is a conservative provocateur for our moment
佛羅里達國會議員馬特·蓋茲是我們這個時代的保守派煽動者
By Nash Jenkins
文/納什·詹金斯
IT’S 5 P.M. ON A RECENT THURSDAY AND Matt Gaetz is deep in the belly of the Capitol,
最近一個周四的下午5點，馬特·蓋茲在國會大廈的深處，
preparing to make his fourth appearance on cable news since dawn.
忙著準備那天黎明以來他在有線電視新聞上的的第四次露面。
That rates as a slow day for the 35-year-old freshman Representative from the Florida Panhandle.
對于這位來自佛羅里達州潘漢德爾的35歲新任代表來說，這是漫長的一天。
This one on Fox News, which for Gaetz is tantamount to batting practice.
在《?？怂剐侣劇飞系倪@次露面對蓋茲來說就好比是擊球練習。
The real game comes when the incendiary conservative appears on MSNBC or CNN
當這位極具煽動性的保守派議員出現在MSNBC或CNN上，
and provides the sort of contrarian commentary that has made him one of President Trump’s favorite members of Congress.
發表讓他成了特朗普總統最喜歡的國會議員之一的逆勢評論時，真正的游戲才開始到來。
In a few minutes, Gaetz will go before the cameras
幾分鐘后，蓋茲將走到攝像機前，
to bemoan the “full absurdity” of special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.
哀嘆特別顧問羅伯特·米勒領導的“俄羅斯調查”簡直是“一派荒謬”。
But first he wants to explain his underlying philosophy.
但首先，他還是想解釋一下他的基本哲學。
“The convention that one should never be perceived to troll another that has a diferent viewpoint
“那種認為一個人永遠不應該被覺得對與其觀點不同的人進行了釣魚式攻擊的慣例，
is a very country club approach to politics,”
是一種非常鄉村俱樂部式的政治做法，”
Gaetz explains in his office, nursing one of the 10 or so Diet Pepsis he drinks each day.
蓋茲在他的辦公室抱著他每天都要喝的大約10種無糖百事解釋到。
“And we’re sort of in the era of Caddyshack. The caddies have taken over the country club.”
“我們似乎進入了《瘋狂高爾夫》，讓球童們給接管了鄉村俱樂部的時代?！?/p>
Trolling has made Gaetz a star on the right.
釣魚式攻擊讓蓋茲成了右派的明星。
In terms of sheer airtime, he is arguably the most visible member of the House Republican Conference outside of its leadership.
就純粹的播出時間而言，他無疑是共和黨眾議院委員會領導層之外最引人注目的成員。
Unlike, say, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, he shirks scripted talking points.
與眾議院議長保羅·瑞安等人不同，馬特·蓋茲回避了照本宣科的談話要點。
A Gaetz TV hit often feels calibrated to strike the pressure points of liberal outrage,
蓋茲在電視臺的熱播常常讓人覺得是為了迎合自由派憤怒的壓力點，
delivered with the impishness of a fraternity president before the university disciplinary committee.
在大學紀律委員會面前，他以一個兄弟會主席的頑皮口吻說到。
Remember when Trump described Haiti and some African nations as “sh-tholes”?
還記得特朗普形容海地和一些非洲國家都是“狗屎”嗎?
As Republicans distanced themselves from the remarks,
正當共和黨人忙著跟這些評價劃清界限時，
Gaetz went on MSNBC to validate them,
蓋茲卻在MSNBC上對它們給予了支持，
describing Haiti as a land of little more than “sheet metal and garbage.”
說海地是一片只有“金屬板和垃圾”的土地。
Gaetz acknowledges that his tactics are designed to infuriate his opponents.
蓋茲承認，他的這一策略是為了激怒對手。
His guest to the State of the Union in January was Charles C. Johnson,
他邀請的一月份國情咨文的演講嘉賓是查爾斯·C. 約翰遜，
who has disputed that six million Jews died in the Holocaust
就是那位否認有600萬猶太人在大屠殺中遇難，
and was permanently banned from Twitter in 2015
2015年又因為他號召自己的粉絲“干掉”著名的“黑人的命也是命”活動家德雷·麥克森
for calling on his followers to “take out” the prominent Black Lives Matter activist DeRay McKesson.
被推特永久禁言的家伙。
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