Joe Biden’s ex-communication chief apparently tried to dismiss the fears of several Democrats on a Sunday, regarding a statement made by ex-President Trump suggesting that future elections may become unnecessary if he regains presidential office. Former President Trump’s statement, ‘In four years, you won’t have to vote again,’ made at a Turning Point USA gathering, was met with criticism and speculation from the left. However, Kate Bedingfield took to social media to downplay these fears, perhaps naïvely assuming Trump was merely referring to his absence from the 2028 ticket.
Bedingfield’s interpretation suggested a dismissive attitude from Trump, with her saying, ‘I think he is saying I won’t be on the ticket either way, so who cares.’ She alarmingly seemed to take this light-heartedly while hinting at the damage inflicted on the reputation of the Republican Party, which she believes has lost credibility in their unwavering support of ‘this one awful, narcissistic guy’.
Top affiliates supporting Trump trivialized these comments in recent days. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) claimed during a CNN interview that Trump was ‘obviously making a joke,’ inviting further scrutiny of his levity when addressing the future democratic processes of the United States. Following this casual approach towards potentially dangerous rhetoric seems to be a new trend among Biden’s team.
Bedingfield faced backlash from individuals critical of her seemingly dismissive stance. Critics argued that her remarks belittled the threat that Trump’s words can pose to democracy, citing the disturbing events of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack and the doubts cast about the 2024 election. Bedingfield, seemingly caught in her own web of confusion, later tried to clarify her stance.
In her screeching backpedalling, Bedingfield asserted, ‘I am not suggesting Trump isn’t a threat to democracy or that he hasn’t said and done despicable things – like Jan 6, like saying he’d be a dictator on day one – he has and it is unacceptable and appalling,’ she said, contradicting her earlier light-hearted tone. She then attempted to salvage her stance, suggesting that despite all of Trump’s documented actions, the focus should be on ‘winning messages targeted to those people who don’t absorb everything Donald Trump says the same way everyone responding here does’.
Despite trying to paint herself as a defender of democracy, Bedingfield further muddied her position by not choosing to hold Trump accountable for his dangerous utterances. Instead, she suggested that Democrats should still aim to win ‘because the stakes are existential’, painting Democrats as desperate and reliant on threats, rather than a vision or solid policy!
There was also a peculiar echo chamber of Democrats who supported Bedingfield’s shaky thesis. Tommy Vietor, a former Obama spokesperson and now a host of ‘Pod Save America’, made a futile attempt to chime in with his two cents, calling Trump ‘a selfish prick and a liar who says he can fix everything in four years or politics won’t matter once hes gone’ but did not propose a solid counterargument or action plan.
In an intriguing twist, even Anti-Trump conservative commentator Bill Kristol jumped onto the pro-Bedingfield bandwagon, dismissing her critics as ‘mostly dense or foolish’ while not providing any concrete strategy or counter-arguments – merely more entire political rhetoric.
Kristol, in fact, suggested a lack of a unified approach on their part, writing, ‘A range of arguments are needed to defeat Trump, and dogmatically asserting there’s one magic argument or kind of argument that works on everyone, is silly and counter-productive.’ This lack of strategic cohesion reveals a divided stance among Democrats and a lack of conversation beyond simple Trump-bashing.
The Biden campaign, in the past, heavily relied on the threat of a Trump presidency as the main rebuttal against him, rather than offering any substantial policies or vision. It is troubling that instead of presenting alluring policy ideas, the Biden communication team and their allies choose to focus solely on character attacks on opponents.
Seemingly in a state of permanent campaign mode, the Harris team also seems to be to no better. They have resulted in presenting less of any appealing substantive argument and more of personal disparagement, attempting to label Republicans as ‘weird’ while lacking a coherent message themselves.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D), rumoured to be a contender for Harris’ running mate, lolled into the fray by labelling Republicans’ stance on LGBTQ rights and abortion access as unpopular, instead of focusing on their own proposals and plans for these issues.
It appears that by focusing on polarizing social issues while not having any clear policies or visions themselves, the Democratic party led by Biden and Harris can only resort to vague allegations and character defamation, ignoring any serious discourse on policy or future planning.
This trend of political mudslinging and derision seems rampant among Democrats as they scramble to concoct new attack lines focusing merely on belittling their opponent’s stances rather than putting forth constructive arguments.
Such focus on stirring controversy diverts attention away from necessary discussions on nation-building, addressing economic concerns, healthcare, and other pressing issues. It seems as if the Biden-Harris team is more interested in power retention through hollow rhetoric than any substantial contribution to nation-building.
Biden’s Ex-Comms Chief Dismisses Trump’s Threats – Further Evidence of Democrats’ Naïvety? appeared first on Real News Now.
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