Biden ran to restore normalcy, but his vile rhetoric needs to stop. By David Marcus.
There has always been an unwritten rule in American politics that you can attack your opponent with everything you got, but you don’t attack their voters.
However, just this past week Charlie Crist, the Democrat gubernatorial candidate in Florida said he doesn’t want votes from conservatives, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul told Republican New Yorkers to move to Florida, which, a lot frankly have already, and Joe Biden called the MAGA philosophy of Trump supporters, “semi-fascist.” This is all extremely dangerous and it needs to stop.
Let’s be clear, Biden did not call Trump a semi-fascist, he said it about the “MAGA philosophy” embraced by Trump’s voters. Fascism is a particularly dehumanizing accusation.
Once you identify someone as a fascist, they are as good a target for harassment or violence as any other person who shares their beliefs. Not only is harassing Justice Brett Kavanaugh, or swatting Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene acceptable, so are attacks on your neighbor with the Trump flag on his truck.
We already see the results of this illiberal and divisive approach to conservative voters from the left. A recent survey showed that 62% of college sophomores who voted for Biden would not be roommates with a Trump supporter, while only 28% of Trump voters said the same. Meanwhile, actress Sydney Sweeney came under blistering attack for posting a photo on social media at a family party with, gasp, Trump supporters. This isn’t political disagreement, it’s personal disdain.
It wasn’t always like this. Back in 2008 when then-candidate Barack Obama criticized GOP voters for clinging to their God and guns he had to apologize and walk it back. Hillary Clinton came under similar bipartisan fire for calling Trump voters deplorables. But not this time. We seem to have reached a place where vicious attacks on the American people from their own president is par for the course.
Deliberately riling up the base by insulting and demonizing the other half of America — very tribal:
When given the chance to turn down the temperature White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre instead doubled down. She said the fascist label fits because Republicans are attacking voting and abortion rights. …
Of course, the irony here is that an actual hallmark of 20th-century fascism was dehumanizing not just your political opposition, but the people themselves.
How far a leap is it from saying I don’t want a conservative roommate, or date, or mechanic, to I think these people need to be silenced, punished or worse? History tells us that it is but a modest distance.
Clearly Democrats think that this vile rhetoric is working in their electoral favor, maybe it is. Maybe these slings and arrows can save the Senate. But at what price? How much discord and division can the country handle? And what happens if Republicans decide that they too will target Democrat voters with hateful haranguing?
Joe Biden ran on a promise to restore normalcy, instead he is marching us into civil war.
Rig just one election, then you can never let the opposition back into power for fear they will investigate and imprison you, and then you will say just anything to stay in power. Oh dear, Mr Biden, what have you done?
