Back in 2016, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton gave a speech where she addressed the supporters of her opponent, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. She noted that these supporters had real concerns and recognizable fears that needed be heard and addressed and should not be ignored.
But she expressed concern about what will charitably refer to as a subset of those supporters who were employing hate and anger as driving forces for their candidate, a subculture of racism, sexism, homophobia and other attacks on people. She referred to this subset as "deplorables".
The response was predictable. Outrage on the right that Clinton called all Trump supporters, all Republicans and indeed "most" Americans "deplorable".
Angry people would show up at Trump rallies with signs and t-shirts declaring themselves as "deplorable" as a badge of honor.
Never mind that Clinton tried to threat the needle and only single out a subset of Trump supporters who were overtly using messages of anger and hate.
Skip ahead to 2022 and President Joe Biden gives a speech you know he wishes he didn't have to give. Biden is an old school politician who believes the work of government can be accomplished across party lines, that he can work with Democrats and Republicans alike.
But President Biden was seeing a movement that was getting worse, not better, a movement of hatred and distrust that threatens the very bedrock of American democracy and he felt duty bound to call it out.
Election deniers winning elections to positions of authority within government.
Extreme far right politicians and judges working to strip away rights from certain Americans.
Calls for violence against the FBI and the DOJ for daring to investigate Trump.
In his speech last Thursday, Biden called on the nation to reject “extremist,” election-denying Donald Trump and his “MAGA Republicans” who threaten democracy.
Biden said, “MAGA Republicans do not respect the Constitution. They do not believe in the rule of law. They do not recognize the will of the people, refuse to accept the results of a free election."
Biden, like Clinton before him, is threading a needle, attempting to single out a subset of a group and urging that Americans “have to defend” democracy.
Like Clinton before him, the response to the Biden's speech was completely predictable: Outrage on the right that Biden called all Trump supporters, all Republicans and indeed "most" Americans as a threat to democracy.
Nothing pisses off a bully more than hitting them back.
Tim Michels, a Republican candidate for governor in Wisconsin endorsed by Donald Trump is calling for people to take up “pitchforks and torches”.
And it's Joe Biden who is being divisive?
I'm gonna let musician John Legend point out some obvious holes in the logic of the offense felt by Republicans.
“When the president comes out as anti fascist and pro democracy and you feel attacked … Perhaps you need to do some introspection."
“My pastor grandfather would say ‘I ain’t talkin' bout you unless it IS you.’”
"Nobody’s forcing y’all to be pro-insurrection. Nobody’s forcing y’all to vote for people who want to overturn free and fair elections."
Or as Dan Rather put it, "After President Biden's speech, it seems like a lot of people are unhappy they got the shoe... and it fits."
As I noted earlier, this is a speech that President Joe Biden really didn't want to give and he tried to thread the needle by calling out a subset of the Republican Party.
But is it really just a subset? If there were any adults in the room with any kind of power, the Republican Party should be able to clean house of it's hard right MAGA extremists who call for violence and disavowal of the very law & order that Republicans are supposed to be noted for supporting.
But the Republicans have long since sold their souls for victory at all costs. Yeah, Joe Biden might be right that there are decent people in the Republican Party who still believe in the Constitution and in law and order. Sadly, I think the forces arrayed against them are not a subset but a majority.
Otherwise, President Biden wouldn't have to make a speech urging that Americans “have to defend” democracy.
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