I hear people say things like “if Obama (or anyone left of Republicans) did what Trump did, there would be hell to pay.”
Why isn’t that argument taken more seriously by people on the left as an implicit admission that the left is politically weaker or less effective at wielding power?
If one side “can’t get away with” actions that the other can, doesn’t that suggest a real imbalance rather than moral superiority?
I think if you look at specific examples you’ll learn more. Who is getting away with what?
the left as an implicit admission that the left is politically weaker
That’s not my conclusion from all this. Presidents like Biden and Obama cared about the law somewhat and tried to play by the book, which only seems like their hands were tied when they weren’t. The same goes for other politicians who do get away with a lot of shit. The difference is that Trump likes to make a spectacle out of it.
I interpret that sentiment completely differently from how you seem to. “Democrats would never get away with this” to me is not a statement about the Republican Party’s ability to wield power more effectively than Democrats, rather it is a statement about how Democrat Politicians and their constituents would never allow their leaders to behave the way Republican leaders do. Respect and belief in the core principles of American democracy, rather than a willingness to use technicalities and loopholes to win at any cost, is required and expected of Democrats by Democrats in a way that is not expected of or by Republicans.
I read it more that Democrats couldn’t push boundaries because conservative media is much stronger at pushing talking points, and would jump on a democratic Senate removing the filibuster even more than they did with Obama’s tan suit. Fox is powerful enough to influence other news media and the many centrist voters.
Why isn’t that argument taken more seriously by people on the left as an implicit admission that the left is politically weaker or less effective at wielding power?
Because the Left doesn’t get to wield any power and the right wing Dems care more about not upsetting their owner donors and their friends than insignificant details like justice and the needs and wants of their constituents.
If one side “can’t get away with” actions that the other can, doesn’t that suggest a real imbalance rather than moral superiority?
It’s both and also a secret third thing:
Republicans are MUCH more brazen and shameless, MUCH more skilled at messaging, AND the right wing Dems in power would rather still get paid the big bucks than do their job, see above.
When people say that, they aren’t implying the left are are morally superior. They’re implying the right has double standards. That the right is only interested in holding politicians on the left accountable, while giving politicians on the right free pass to do whatever.
It’s obviously true, and it’s a problem for the left, but it’s a problem of the right.
Why isn’t that argument taken more seriously by people on the left as an implicit admission that the left is politically weaker or less effective at wielding power?
The issue is not the left being weaker, the issue is with the right being corrupt as fuck and never prosecuting their own, even when they commit war crimes or rape kids. Whereas the left, at least pretends to care when someone from the party does some crazy shit and they do prosecute their own.
Oh come on now, the dems give everyone on their side a pass. Look at Al Franken, what he did was way worse than anything in the Epstein files and got off scott free.
Er, wait…that is what happened, right?
Nah, holding politicans responsible is a strength not a weakness.
Well they barely do that either when in power, I think that’s why I see people talking about the “ratchet effect” so much this year.
they just go after low hanging and inconsequential fruit… like Al Franken.
It’s seen as a problem for everyone.
If someone wins a sports tournament, and we later discover they had cheated, we don’t ask the other competitors why they weren’t smart enough or strong enough to cheat.
I don’t think people who aren’t cheating get to compete at that level so they wouldn’t get the chance to ask. They don’t get the opportunity
This tells me that you are assuming everyone is cheating, and thus cheating is not only excusable, but necessary.
I disagree. Most people are not cheaters, and more cheating does not create fairness, just more assholes.
Most people are not cheaters. They’re saying most or all politicians on the national level are cheaters. Seems like everyone but Bernie and AOC. idk how cheater-y Romney was.
I think carter was actually honest. That’s why the right hates him so much.
Carter was a a good person and put forth good policies.
That’s why he’s seen as weak by everyone including democrats/left. Good policy and good actions make everyone feel bad about themselves. Carter also asked Americans to make sacrifices and inconveneince themselves for the greater good… which is a huge political no no. Americans love convenience above all else and gladly sacrifice their children’s happiness for lower taxes and cheaper gas.
Part of what makes Trump so popular is his unhinged assholery makes people feel good because he gives them permission to embrace their shittier selves.
Completely forgetting the Iran Crisis.
The hostages were on TV ever night. There was massive pressure on Carter to free them.
Reagan did a back door deal with Iran, and the hostages were released the day he was inaugurated. Then Reagan became Iran’s worst enemy.
It’s just a platitude.
The left would 100% get away with any and all of this.
So like you want President Gavin Newsom to order the Justice department to charge Tucker Carlson with mortgage fraud?
Corruption and abuse of power actually get worse if it’s “both sides”. Don’t you think?
What if it already was both sides already ? 🤷
As a leftist I can assure you, yes the left is significantly weaker, and there is a deep imbalance.
The left, specifically in America, has suffered gravely over the past century. The Red Scare era made it functionally illegal to be a leftist. Many leftists were fired, some were killed, and leftist thought was purged from our education system.
The following Cold War era pumped our populace full of anti-socialist propaganda. The majority of people over 50 believe socialism is just as bad as fascism, and that socialists are the enemy.
The American left has yet to recover from these deep wounds.
That sums it up perfectly. Even the Dems can’t bring themselves to support socialists.
That’s because Dems are capitalists and always have been. Even when they had the support of powerful unions it was only the class collaborationist unions, never radical unions. The Dems were social democrats when there was a strong socialist movement that threatened capital interests, making it necessary for the capital owners to co-opt and redirect it. FDR implemented his reforms in the interest of preserving capitalism, not for the benefit of the working class. He saved the ruling elites from their own hubris, and they hated him for it.
The Left is weaker. Period.
Ronald Reagan went after the unions and the GOP never stopped. The Unions used to do a lot of the groundwork for the Dems; things like getting petitions signed and monitoring voting. The Churches do that job for the GOP because ‘Right To Life.’
The Right has a fantastic ground game in US politics. They drive old folks to the polls on election day, put signs on lawns and in store windows, and send dozens of letters to any media outlet.
Another thing the Left does badly is break up into tiny splinter groups instead of uniting. In one town you’ll have one group pushing for bike lanes, and another angry about the schools, and a third with another agenda.
Yes, the left has no coherent vision.
And the funny thing is when they find someone to rally around, like Obama. They act like it’s some miracle of his personality or something. No, Obama just had a coherent policy and message that people could get behind, including the white-working class. For some reason the Democrat leadership refuses to even consider having such a platform, and like you said, pushes all these niche interests to various voting blocs, instead of having one vision that appears to many voting blocs.
Follow-up question: why do Americans think there’s an active mainstream political “left” in the US, and how is it related to the Democrats?
We’ve been told for generations that the Democrats are “left”, so many people have accepted it as truth. Repetition is powerful, especially when it’s been going on since before you were born, and your parents and grandparents believe it, too.
Not enough of us realize that Democrats aren’t “left”; they’re just not as obviously, painfully “right” as Republicans.
I hate our two-party system.
Define left.
If it’s ‘not republican’ than the Democrats are it. If it’s ‘socialist values’ than no, that’s considered fringe politics. Sanders is a moderate socialist who’d be a center or center-right figure it many european countries, but American overton window makes him a extremist because our political history is far more libertarian and less centralized than most european states.
Left politics generally supports social change, equality, and greater government intervention in the economy to help the marginalized, often favoring progress over tradition, and is associated with values like social justice, workers’ rights, and expanded public services.
I hope that helps.
Only psychopaths think doing the right thing makes you weaker.
The last strong left wing politician America had was Huey Long, he was assassinated.
In America, anyone who is left wing, actually willing to do what is necessary to effect change, and who gets vaguely close to power, either has their reputation assassinated or is assassinated more literally.
That’s a name that you barely hear anymore outside of YouTube.
