Tipsheet

Bill Maher Is Right About One Aspect of the 2022 Midterms, But Misses the Mark

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  November 07, 2022 6:15 AM

Bill Maher probably knew Democrats would get wrecked even before its national committee members did. He didn’t seem convinced that the brief, but intense abortion hysterics could save Democrats this cycle. Liberals hoped that the fallout over Roe v. Wade being overturned could provide some protection against Republicans, but to no avail. The disintegrating economy, the high inflation, and the spike in crime overtook the trivial and immaterial matters that occupy the minds of liberals. No one cares about January 6, global warming, or abortion. Even the most ardent pro-choice American knows that the struggle to put food on the table and a roof over their head are more crucial than supporting abortion rights.

Still, Maher pointed to another reason why liberals are going to get creamed at the polls this year: ‘woke’ Left nonsense. The economy, Joe Biden’s appalling poll numbers, and pervasive incompetence at the White House and on the Hill under Democratic governance is a political bonfire that all can see. Biden munching on an ice cream cone, declaring a “strong as hell” economy is another low point, perfectly capturing the Democrats’ detachment from real issues impacting working families. Even worse, there’s been gross indifference to how working families have been ravaged financially by Biden’s policies. 

Yet, being a wet blanket and a perpetual snob aren’t appealing characteristics either. Maher has repeatedly explained why the Democratic Party is on a one-way ride to suckville. He made these observations when he, an ardent liberal, has been targeted by progressives for calling them out on their illiberal tendencies, namely their penchant for suppressing freedom of speech and expression. Today’s Democrats are condescending to the hilt; if you disagree with them, they dismiss you as uneducated or racist. That’s how they’ve treated voters who have voiced concerns about rising crime, by gaslighting themselves that it’s not a real problem. Oh, it is—one that Democrats created.

Maher is spot-on concerning these points, but I’ve said this before, that doesn’t mean he’s right about everything. Again, the comedian is a liberal but not a cultural Marxist. And he did peddle the tired line about elected so-called ‘election deniers,’ which could lead to authoritarianism. It was classic liberal hyperbole, but the Maher honeymoon was bound to end. It’s boom and bust with him. Take to heart his good points because they’re often correct, especially about cancel culture and radical Islam, and discard the rest.