Every election cycle, we find ourselves in the same old situation. The moment anyone criticizes a Democrat, the media and their supporters immediately cry foul, waving the banner of identity politics to shield them from any and all scrutiny. It’s gotten so old, yet Democrats feel so entitled to power that they can’t stop it.
We saw it with Obama — criticize his policies, and you’re a racist. With Hillary Clinton, it was the same story — the left automatically branded any critique of her as sexist. Joe Biden? Question his cognitive abilities, and you’re just being an ageist. And now, with Kamala Harris, she can play the race and sex cards.
And boy, she's playing them.
It’s a tiresome pattern that reflects an inability and unwillingness on the part of Democratic candidates to face the music when it comes to their records, their decisions, and their qualifications. Instead of standing on their merits, they hide behind their identities, using them as a convenient excuse to dismiss any and all criticisms as bigoted attacks.
Don’t support Obamacare? You’re racist!
Don’t like Hillary? You must not like women!
This tactic not only stifles legitimate debate, but it also cheapens the very real issues of racism, sexism, and ageism by turning them into political tools rather than legitimate problems.
Related: With Kamala's Lead in the Polls Fading, the Media Wants to Bring Back COVID Protocols
Wouldn’t it be refreshing if, for once, a Democratic candidate for president didn’t rely on identity politics as a shield? Imagine a candidate who welcomes debate and who is willing to defend their record and their positions without the race, sex, or age card being played. After all, if they truly believe in their policies and their vision for the country, they wouldn’t need to use identity politics to fend off criticism.
It’s also grossly hypocritical.
Selective outrage in American politics is nothing new, but it’s never been more blatant than when comparing the treatment of Republican and Democratic candidates. Take Donald Trump, for instance. When he calls Kamala Harris a “dummy,” Democrats brand the comments as sexist.
Let’s rewind to 2008 when Sarah Palin was the Republican vice-presidential nominee. The left promptly branded her as unintelligent. The media and left-wing commentators practically made it their full-time job to tear Palin down as a dumb bimbo. From her accent to her folksy demeanor, nothing was off-limits. The icing on the cake was that the left widely celebrated Tina Fey’s ditzy impression of Palin on "Saturday Night Live" because attacking a woman’s intelligence wasn’t sexist as long as that woman was a Republican.
Similarly, the same people who defended Joe Biden by calling any question about his mental faculties as ageist have been trying desperately to flip the script and say that Trump is too old and not mentally competent to be president. Ageist? Suddenly that word has fallen out of the public discussion. Instead, making Trump's age an issue is now all the rage.
The left’s obsession with identity brought us to this point, and it’s not contributing positively to public discourse.
