A Washington Post opinion writer came out swinging against Democrats who complained he hasn’t been tougher on President Donald Trump.
Shadi Hamid wrote Monday, “I’m more critical of Democrats precisely because I expect more from them.”
He continued, “When Trump disregards human rights abroad or undermines democratic norms at home, he’s not being hypocritical — he’s being exactly who he has always claimed to be.” On the other hand, “Democrats consistently fall short of the very ideals they profess to champion.”
Examples of Democrats’ “hypocrisy,” according to Hamid, include, preaching tolerance and inclusion “while marginalizing pro-life Democrats, talking down to Black and brown voters, ignoring religious conservatives and dismissing the growing ranks of Americans who felt the party had become too radical on issues such as gender identity. On policy, what was once the working-class party chose to prioritize things such as college debt relief, which disproportionately benefits the wealthy.”
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Hamid maintained that constantly going after Trump was akin to picking low-hanging fruit, although he’s careful not to “downplay the dangers Trump represents.”
“But we’ve reached a point where reflexive Trump criticism has become a form of virtue signaling — a way to demonstrate one’s allegiance to the ‘right side’ of history without engaging the harder question of why Trump grows more popular rather than less,” he wrote.
Hamid argued that hypocrisy “has its silver lining” because Democrats can recognize a moral standard that should be upheld.
“We should demand more and expect better,” he wrote.
Hamid concluded, “In an era in which preaching to the converted seems more important than thoughtful debates, perhaps making my own ‘side’ uncomfortable is exactly what’s needed. After all, if we’re not challenging Americans to think differently about this odd, unsettling political moment, then what’s the point?”