What do you do when Democrats begin embracing the extreme ideas of their more radically left wing comrades? If you’re the New York Times, you whine about Republicans calling them out on it, that’s what:
In the 116th Congress, if you’re a Democrat, you’re either a socialist, a baby killer or an anti-Semite.That, at least, is what Republicans want voters to think, as they seek to demonize Democrats well in advance of the 2020 elections by painting them as left-wing crazies who will destroy the American economy, murder newborn babies and turn a blind eye to bigotry against Jews.The unusually aggressive assault, which Republican officials and strategists outlined in interviews last week, is meant to strangle the new Democratic majority in its infancy. It was set in motion this month by President Trump, who used his State of the Union address to rail against “new calls to adopt socialism in our country” and mischaracterize legislation backed by Democrats in New York and Virginia as allowing “a baby to be ripped from the mother’s womb moments before birth.”Then last week, Republicans amped it up, seizing on a Twitter post by a freshman representative, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, which even some Democrats condemned as anti-Semitic, and ridiculing the “Green New Deal,” an ambitious economic stimulus plan unveiled by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a self-described democratic socialist. Suddenly even Jewish Democrats were abetting anti-Semitism and moderate Democrats in Republican districts were Trotskyites and Stalinists.
First, Trump did not “mischaracterize” the abortion legislation in New York and Virginia. New York’s revised abortion law no longer criminalizes abortion at all. And Democratic Rep. Kathy Tran admitted her legislation would make third trimester abortions up until the moment of birth much easier to obtain in Virginia.
Secondly, this isn’t an “unusually aggressive assault”, especially when you consider the left’s history of relentlessly vilifying their opponents. Republicans are “racists”, “bigots”, “homophobes”, “misogynists”, and/or “Nazis” who all want to kick children, the elderly, the disabled, and puppies out onto the streets.
So what’s so different about Republicans turning the tables on Democrats? What’s so alarming this time around about a tried and true tactic political parties have used against each other since political parties came into existence?
Let’s analyze the data.
The rising stars in the Democratic party, the ones making all the waves and getting the first class treatment in media circles are upfront and center representatives of the labels Republicans are using to describe the party.
Freshman Congresswomen Ilhan Omar (MN) and Rashida Tlaib (MI) are anti-Semites, something well-known to voters in their respective districts prior to their elections.
First-term Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY) is an admitted socialist who recently formed a disturbing political alliance with British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is also an anti-Semite.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a “Democratic socialist” and an independent who caucuses with Democrats, gave Hillary Clinton a run for her money in the 2016 presidential primaries. If he decided to join the 2020 presidential race, polls show he’d be a leading contender, second only to possible 2020 candidate Joe Biden.
As to the infanticide charge, as noted earlier Democrats in states like Virginia and New York are proponents of radical laws that significantly loosen restrictions on third trimester abortions. Similar legislation has been pushed by Democrats in New Mexico, Vermont, Rhode Island, Washington, and Massachusetts.
The reason the New York Times is so bothered by the use of these terms to describe Democrats is because they are true. And not only are they true, but those “pouncing” Republicans have the political ammunition to make the labels stick – by using the left’s own words against them.
This is the paper’s way of trying to get out in front of the charges before they take root, in an effort to shame Republicans into backing off of using such “aggressive” and “demonizing” tactics.
What a drag it must be for the NYT that they can’t control national political narratives anymore. It almost makes you feel sorry for them, doesn’t it?
Nah.
— Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym “Sister Toldjah” and can be reached via Twitter. —
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