Besides the 13 mentions of “MAGA” and how it represents a threat to our democracy, I’d say President Biden’s speech on Thursday night was a real kumbaya moment for the country. With the hellish red lights drenching the stage, two Marines positioned behind him and his old man face taut with rage, Biden railed against his political opponents in a taxpayer-funded tirade.
While this was undoubtedly the strongest example yet of Joe’s divisiveness, it was only the cherry on top of months of disgraceful statements made by the Unifier-in Chief. Fueled by desperation and a myriad of disasters, Biden is ramping up his attacks on anyone who might question the left’s progressive plans to radically transform America.
At a private event in Maryland last week, Biden told donors that the MAGA philosophy is like “semi-fascism.” On Tuesday in Pennsylvania, Biden mocked “brave right-wing Americans” who care about their Second Amendment rights to keep and bear arms. He informed gun owners that if they wanted to fight against their own country they would need “an F-15” and “something a little more than a gun.” Can you feel the unity?
And the vitriol is running downstream. Take for example, New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
Recently, at a rally, Hochul told her political nemeses, including Donald J. Trump and her primary challenger Lee Zeldin, to “just jump on a bus and head down to Florida where you belong.”
Can Hochul afford for any more people — even if they are horrible Republicans — to leave New York? According to the IRS, New York lost $19.5 billion due to the migration of taxpayers jumping on buses to other states.
If Hochul really wanted to stem the mass exodus, maybe she should turn her attention to tackling New York’s crime problem and stop droning on about the Sunshine State at every given opportunity (including at the signing of a bill covering Holocaust education).
Speaking of Florida, DeSantis will be going against Democratic nominee Charlie Crist in the gubernatorial election in November. Crist, like Hochul, has clearly never heard the saying “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.”
At a bizarre press conference after winning the nomination, Crist told reporters, “Those who support the governor should stay with him. I don’t want your vote. If you have that hate in your heart, keep it there.”
I’m not a political consultant but is shaming potential voters and accusing them of being hateful really a winning strategy? Does Crist think his sanctimonious moral lecturing will translate to beating Ron DeSantis? Does he have a bus for all of the hateful DeSantis voters to jump on if they disagree with him?
With the midterms approaching, and the predicted red wave allegedly dissipating, many Republicans are taking a different approach and refocusing their efforts on capturing middle-of-the-road voters. In fact, Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masters recently scrubbed certain opinions — including his stances on abortion and the 2020 election — from his campaign website in the hope of appealing to more moderate voters.
But the left’s messaging isn’t simply divisive and disparaging; it is purposeful. Whether Biden, Hochul or Crist, it’s clear that Democrats think their base is craving fighters. They might be right. After all, voters like someone who punches back. It worked for Trump once upon a time.
But in 2016, while Trump did indeed attack politicians, celebrities and really anyone who crossed him, he tended to focus on individuals — not giant swaths of the population. Perhaps it was just his ego at play, but I don’t think Trump ever viewed any voter as un-winnable.
There are plenty of people who are not part of the MAGA movement, but who also expect politicians to make a compelling case to win their votes. Joe Biden and friends are hoping to garner support by guilt-tripping and shaming people in unhinged speeches about democracy hanging by a thread and the soul of the nation being at stake. It is tired and lazy — just like the president.
For the progressive liberals in big cities and for the keyboard warriors on Twitter, this kind of hyperbolic anti-Trump tough talk is music to their ears. But Democrats would be wise to remember that there are independent voters who are looking for candidates who are going to fight for them — not just fight against Trump.
