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“You shall know them by their fruits,” the Bible says. So it is with the Democrats and Republicans. We can learn a lot about their current attitudes by comparing the two parties’ reactions to recent scandalous comments made by some of their most prominent members.
The most noteworthy of these came from the Democratic nominee for Virginia attorney general, former state Del. Jay Jones. Jones texted a former colleague expressing his apparent desire to see former GOP Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert killed for his political views. Even worse, he reiterated his desire when challenged, saying even Gilbert’s children, whom he called “little fascists,” should die in their mother’s arms to force their father to change his opinions.
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It’s been over two weeks, and not a single prominent Democrat has retracted their endorsement of Jones or called on him to step aside. Instead, they have continued to urge voters to back him to become Virginia’s top law enforcement officer, even though a majority of Virginians in a recent poll said he should drop out.
Republicans have had to deal with a pair of scandals of their own. In one, a group of Young Republicans in New York made racist and neo-Nazi comments in a group chat. The group also included a Vermont state senator, adding fuel to the fire.
The GOP’s response was the polar opposite of the Democrats’ in Virginia. The chat was rapidly and roundly condemned by state Republican leaders, and the state party dissolved the entire Young Republican organization for the sins of its leaders. Two of the prominent group chat participants have either lost their jobs or had a job offer pulled. The state senator also resigned after Gov. Phil Scott (R-VT) demanded his resignation.
Republicans in Washington, D.C., also acted fast after a report surfaced that one of President Donald Trump’s nominees for a position in his administration, Paul Ingrassia, made a series of racist comments in a group chat. Ingrassia even went so far as to say he had “a Nazi streak” in the chat.
Leading GOP senators quickly said they would not vote to confirm Ingrassia when his nomination came before the Senate. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) told reporters “it’s wrong” to be antisemitic as he expressed his opposition, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R–SD) simply laughed and agreed when reporters asked if it would be a mistake for Ingrassia to appear for his scheduled confirmation hearing. The White House pulled the nomination by the end of the day.
This contrast in partisan behavior was reinforced this week with the revelation of incendiary, bigoted, and racist social media comments from Graham Platner, a progressive Democrat running for Maine’s Senate seat.
A treasure trove of old, deleted online statements emerged shortly after Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME) entered the Senate race. Platner apparently said he was a communist and agreed with a post that said white rural voters were stupid and bigoted. In 2018, he suggested armed violence was needed to achieve “economic justice.”
There’s even a Nazi element to the latest disclosure. Platner got a tattoo in 2007 that closely resembles the death head symbol of the hated and feared Nazi SS “Totenkopf” regiment. Platner said he did not learn of the resemblance until recently, but a former acquaintance said he called the tattoo “my Totenkopf” in 2012. Platner said he will have the tattoo removed and deeply regrets his prior statements, which he disavowed.
Leading Democrats were again virtually silent in response. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D–NY) endorsed Mills but has yet to comment directly on Platner’s posts. Mills has remained silent, as have other state Democratic officials.
However, Platner’s most prominent backer has reiterated his support for the ultraprogressive. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) attributed the offensive actions and comments to “some really difficult experiences” Platner had. He stood by his endorsement earlier this week, saying, “I’m going to support him and look forward to him becoming the next senator in the state of Maine.”
Maine Democratic voters also appeared unmoved by the information. A University of New Hampshire poll taken between Oct. 16 and Oct. 21, the period during which Platner’s comments were unveiled, found him leading Mills by a whopping 58-24 margin. Platner’s name ID (+43 net favorable) was statistically similar to Mills’s (+47 net favorable) among likely Democratic voters, even though nearly 15% had not heard enough about him to form an opinion.
That poll demographic breakdown reveals a big reason why Democrats have remained mum about the extremists seeking their nods: many of their voters are extremists. About 16% of likely Democratic primary voters described themselves as socialists, while a further 31% said they are progressive. Platner has garnered 83% of the socialist vote and 73% of the progressive vote. They want an extremist who’s willing to literally fight for their cause, and they are too numerous for Mills to disregard.
On the other hand, Republicans do not seem to fear voter retribution when they exile the extremists and nutjobs from their ranks. The MAGA world clearly wants to see aggressive fighters for its cause, but it takes that attitude seriously rather than literally.
On the other hand, Democrats appear to see no enemies to their left. Indeed, such sentiments may even be held as proof of a candidate’s sincerity in some sections of the party.
New York City mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani is another example of someone who has made extreme comments that seem to have rolled off the back of Democratic voters. His calls to defund the police and globalize the intifada have been publicized by the media and his opponents throughout his campaign. Yet polls show him cruising to victory by double-digit margins over his foes.
PEER-REVIEWED STUDIES SUGGEST UFOS PHOTOGRAPHED IN ORBIT PRIOR TO SPACE AGE
It’s possible that Democrats will wake up and see that extremism in the defense of progressivism is a vice in the eyes of swing voters. Jones’s poll numbers have tanked since his texts came to light. He had been leading in every poll taken before then, but has trailed or been tied in every poll since. Democratic politicians and base voters may tolerate disgustingly violent views, but the people who decide elections apparently do not.
Embracing or tolerating these views and personalities has yet to harm more mainstream Democrats. Expect Republicans to make hay of these and the inevitable future shocking disclosure in next year’s midterm elections to test whether those tactics pay off.
