RUY TEIXEIRA: The Democrats’ Culture Denialism.
[F]undamentally today’s Democrats are culture denialists. That is, they do not consider cultural issues real issues. They are typically viewed as politically motivated distractions or as expressions of something else entirely (i.e., racism, sexism, xenophobia, transphobia, etc.) They are not treated as issues that need to be dealt with on their own terms.
The current Democratic discourse is rife with examples. Here’s Massachusetts Democratic Representative Jim McGovern as tweeted out by progressive group CAP Action:
Get it? No one would normally object to Democratic policies around trans issues or immigration issues. Backlash against them is just ginned up by Republicans for nefarious political purposes. The real issue is the depredations of big corporations. The clear implication is that Democrats don’t need to change their positions on either trans and immigration issues but instead should point out to befuddled voters that these are non-issues and that their real enemy is corporate America (hissss!).
Which seems odd, considering that corporate America — or at least its management — are Democratic Party stalwarts, despite being their go-to rhetorical whipping boys. But eventually, the Dems might want to update their leather helmet-era playbook, considering that in late 2022, Tom Cotton told CEOs who tolerate wokeness don’t come crying to the GOP:
In a viral video from a Nov. 29 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, spoke out against McMullen and other corporate leaders who expect Republicans to defend them against Democratic lawmakers pushing for industry regulation.
He said that while the GOP has a history of supporting free enterprise, corporate leaders cannot expect Republicans to come to their defense if their companies enforce policies that discriminate against or censor conservative employees.
I’ve cautioned companies for years that if they censor their conservative employees, they shouldn’t come to Republicans when Democrats come after them.
My message to these companies: best of luck. pic.twitter.com/rgOvdEuoaa
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) November 29, 2022
“I’ve cautioned them for years that if they silence conservatives and center-right voters … if they discriminate against them in their company, they probably shouldn’t come and ask Republican senators to carry the water for them whenever our Democratic friends want to regulate them or block their mergers,” he said in the video.
Cotton’s comments were in response to the religious discrimination lawsuit that was filed after two Kroger employees in Arkansas were fired for refusing to wear company aprons with a rainbow logo, which is often used as a symbol for the LGBTQ community. The Cincinnati-based company settled the lawsuit, agreeing to pay the former employees $180,000.
McMullen, at the hearing, reiterated that the heart with the rainbow was a branding symbol, not a political statement.
To McMullen and other CEOs seeking GOP support against regulation, Cotton said, “I’ll say this: ‘I’m sorry that’s happening to you. Best of luck.'”
As for “billion-dollar insurance companies,” as we’ve seen since the beginning of December, Democrats have declared a fatwa on their CEOs: Shock poll: 41 percent of young voters find killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO acceptable.
UPDATE: Insurance company CEO speaks pablum calling for a new civility after — checks notes — radicalized Muslim kills at least 14 people yesterday in New Orleans:
Turned on the Notre Dame – Georgia game for it to start with this ridiculous propaganda from @Allstate on yesterday’s terrorist attack:
“We need to overcome an addiction to divisiveness and negativity… & accept people’s imperfections and differences”??!!!
You’re JOKING. pic.twitter.com/Xiwdek3BoP
— Isabel Brown (@theisabelb) January 2, 2025
As Collin Rugg jokes on Twitter, “If only Shamsud Din Jabbar had heard this message two days ago!”