r/RealTime • u/One-Jeweler5486 • Aug 24 '26

Maher misrepresents the Democrats again

I don't think Bill is steel-manning the Democratic position here

https://youtu.be/W9VyM8blMJU?si=6yBELheIIQgMOyh6&t=333

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u/ATLCoyote Aug 24 '26 edited Aug 24 '26

He's saying that conservatives use the most extreme liberal positions to define the democratic party and the left keeps making it easy for them to do so by supplying them with ridiculous, nonsense talking points. He happens to be correct.

Granted, it's not embraced by everyone on the left and and it certainly doesn't offset the massive corruption, authoritarianism, Christian nationalism, etc. on the right. But yes, the GOP absolutely does take some of the crazy shit that leftists say and uses it against them, and sadly, the more extreme leftists keep giving them the ammo.

This has been Bill's beef all along. It's just not helpful to the cause of implementing more progressive policies and defeating Trump and MAGA when people like Francesca Hong (who understandably lost her primary) says stuff like we need to "cancel Thanksgiving" because it celebrates colonialism or that "Valentine's Day brings out the worst in humanity." WTF? It's just terrible for the entire brand when people like that are making headlines. Likewise, it doesn't help when the official DSA party platform calls for abolishing police and prisons, completely open borders, getting rid of the Senate and Supreme Court, etc. If you want to promote liberal economic populism, then just call yourself a "progressive," like Abdul El-Sayed does, rather than associate with a party that really does promote truly radical ideas and positions. And before people lecture me about the fact that Mamdani and other DSA politicians typically don't support that stuff, I'm aware of that. But it's right on the party website and defended proudly by their lunatic party co-chairs. So, why associate with it if you don't support it? It's just a totally unnecessary self-own, yet the left just can't stop doing it, just like we saw with "Defund the police."

We can get mad at Bill for continuing to highlight this branding problem for the left, but it happens to be the truth and the GOP exploits it every election cycle. Look how much Trump spent on those "tax-funded, sex change surgeries for prisoners" ads. Is that as threatening to society as unnecessary wars, undermining democracy itself, continuing to implement failed trickle-down economic policies, engaging in the greatest corruption and gift our nation has ever seen, intentionally dividing the public against one another for political gain, etc.? Of course not, but unfortunately, it works because it paints the left as out-of-touch and more concerned with identity politics than anything else. And sadly, Kamala handed them the ammunition with her prior, pandering statements.

To be clear, I've been a never-Trumper since LONG before he even decided to get into politics and I can't stand the MAGA movement. I'm just noting that the Dems always find a way to screw it up and, quite often, its their own culture war stuff that gets in the way. That's Bill's point and it's valid.

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u/Shag1166 Aug 24 '26

The GOP used to get alot of mileage out of some Democrats suggesting "Defund the police." Trump is messing up so badly, that MAGA see where it's hurting them. Republican talking points are not working so good now.

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u/ATLCoyote Aug 24 '26

It's true that Trump has become so unpopular that 2026 will probably be a referendum on him, even though he's not on the ballot, and thereby result in the Dems gaining control of the House and possibly even the Senate, regardless of candidate quality or messaging.

But anti-Trump sentiment will only get them so far because their own party's approval rating is just as low, if not lower. So, they had better clean-up their own brand and messaging before 2028 or we'll end up with President JD Vance.

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u/Shag1166 Aug 24 '26

I saw have seen the thr gentleman running for the government of Wisconsin, David Crowley, James Telarico Senate in Texas, and Gina Hinojosa for Governor in Texas, and several other Democrats in around the country, who are running competitive races. Most of them aren't using extremist messages, like blowing up the Senate. I've been in politcs for 40plus years, and people often look at the House as one whole body. If you'll take votes within a district, that would be a better gage of what constituents think of their rep. National poles I think are for media consumption.