Tipsheet

Democrats Don't Believe Their Own 'Democracy in Peril' Rhetoric

Guy Benson
Guy Benson  |  September 07, 2022 1:40 PM

President Biden's widely-panned 'democracy' speech last week -- featuring creepy and controversial optics, and heavy doses of demagoguery and hypocrisy -- argued that 'MAGA Republicans' pose a threat to our very republic.  Biden somewhat walked back his attacks the next day, but he said what he said.  And even the partial reversal left much to be desired.  Here's what he said, in response to a shouted question from Fox's Peter Doocy:


Anyone who fails to condemn violence is a threat to democracy?  Interesting.  Does the Speaker of the House fit the bill, Mr. President?  Maybe the governor of New York, too?  And unless I'm mistaken, we're still waiting on a direct presidential condemnation of the left-wing assassination plot against a sitting Supreme Court justice, a story that disappeared awfully quickly.  Also, anyone who refuses "to acknowledge an election has been won" is also a menace to the country?  Fair enough.  I await Biden's endorsement of Gov. Brian Kemp over election truther Stacey Abrams with bated breath.  The reality, of course, is that Biden and the Democrats don't truly believe any of what they're saying on these matters.  Indeed, Biden himself has foolishly expanded his 'threat to America' claptrap well beyond justifiable claims, wandering into mere policy disagreements.  This undermines whatever serious point he might have been trying to make, thanks to rhetorical mission creep:


MAGA proposals, eh?  As I responded on Twitter, "the tax cuts and deregulation? The Middle East peace accords? Border enforcement? These ‘MAGA’ policy proposals are not 'threats to the very  soul of this country,' and it's idiotic to say so. If you have a serious critique, tailor it specifically. This ain’t it."  Then there's the matter of Democrats gravely intoning about the existential threat of 'MAGA Republicans,' while also spending tens of millions of campaign dollars to boost and promote...MAGA Republicans.  We've covered that cynical strategy before -- and, fittingly, another round of it was reported literally the day after Biden's unserious and non-credible speech in Philadelphia:


Their empty words say one thing.  Their actions say quite another.  They want 'ultra MAGA' candidates to run against, believing them to be easier to defeat -- and to that end, they're putting big money where their mouths aren't.  Moderate Republicans like outgoing Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan are calling Democrats out:


And Democrats are shrugging and essentially admitting that it's all about accumulating power and winning elections, nothing more:

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Sen. Patty Murray isn't exactly breaking new ground here.  Nancy Pelosi basically said the same thing a number of weeks back.   Then there's the clip Katie wrote about yesterday:


What a remarkably bad answer to a question the recipient snarkily admitted she'd been anticipating for quite some time.  That's what she had prepared for a challenge she'd been waiting for?  And what an indictment of the rest of the media for not asking such a glaringly obvious question of the president's spokesperson, given the president's feigned indignation over 'democracy' and election denial.  I'll leave with this, which is quite a montage: