A writer at The New York Times is elated that Democrats have come to “name-calling” in the presidential race, apparently oblivious about the childish strategy embraced by the party of identity politics for decades.
On Thursday, New York Times Contributing Editor Jessica Bennett published a column to celebrate that “Democrats have finally gone low” with their bizarre use of the term “weird’ as a bit of verbal jujitsu so delightfully petty it might just work.”
“For years the MAGA movement has approached politics the way a bully would approach a schoolyard,” Bennett wrote, adding “Snowflakes,” “Groomers,” and “Cucks,” are the labels Democrats responded to “for years” by “trying to be the adults in the room” with “facts,” “context,” and “earnest explanations that nobody remembers.” (Guess Hillary Clinton calling half the country “deplorable” in 2016 was a very grown-up thing to do).
Here’s one defense most Americans will always remember, and that Bennett seems to have forgotten: Republicans, according to Democrats, are racist, sexist, fascist, and any other “ist” that leftists can come up with to shout their opponents down in the kind of temper tantrum Bennett said defines any objection to charges of “weird.”
“As any sixth grader who’s been called weird,” she wrote, “good luck trying to argue your way out.”
“Much like ‘creepy’ — which packs a particular punch when delivered by a woman to a man,” Bennett added, “you can’t really defend against weird. It’s specific enough to be damning, but without a clear path to a comeback.”
It’s a similar attack to those Democrats have deployed with previous name-calling campaigns wherein the defense against such labels is treated as an admission of guilt. No one can reference his relationships with minorities, lest he be chastised as even more racist than the charges initially suggest. Republicans ought not dare reference a “binder full of women” to prove their commitment to sex parity in the workplace, lest they be blinded by accusations of sexism.
“Weirdness” is apparently another indefensible charge that Republicans can’t run against, even if the label provides a classic example of projection from a party eager to dole out special benefits based on sex and race while celebrating blasphemous scenes of religious mockery.
Two years ago, Fox News late-night host Greg Gutfeld explained conservatives’ newfound fondness for name-calling emerged in the form of “groomer.”
“Every lefty is a ‘groomer’ because it’s a mirror of what the Dems did with ‘racist,'” Gutfeld said.
Every rich person racist. Every white person racist. Every Trump rally racist. Everything on Fox racist. Every dead president. Every monument. Every name of every school. Every podcaster. Every comedian. Racist, racist, racist.
So fine. Then every left-wing teacher is a groomer. Every left-wing Disney employee who wants gender studies taught to toddlers is a groomer. Everyone who defends the medicalization of confused kids. You’re a groomer.
The Democrats’ embrace of the word “weird” to characterize their opposition has propelled a new term into our political jargon. It’s courtesy of another election built on identity politics due to a female candidate at the top of a major ticket. As Helen Andrews pointed out on X, “calling people ‘weird’ is such feminine behavior.”
It makes sense then, with a woman to lead the charge, the Democrats would pursue a name-calling campaign that polices conformity. Of course, leftists likely would clalim that’s something a sexist might say.