For Democrats, it’s time to face an uncomfortable truth. While surely the result of a plethora of different contributing factors, Democrats need to confront the role they played in Donald Trump’s rise to prominence, and his seemingly unwavering persistence in the political arena. For decades, rhetoric on both sides of the aisle has been increasing in both polarization and intensity. The language used by politicians and pundits alike has become more and more partisan. For the last couple of cycles, Democrats have treated Republican nominees like caricatures as part of their stereotypical (mis)conception of the Republican Party. Why then, should it be a surprise to us that when someone who largely embodies many of these cartoonish characteristics takes the stage, the regular, already highly inflammatory rhetoric seems to have no effect? The partisan political rhetoric on both sides of the aisle has become so intense that there’s no way to distinguish even the most flagrant violations of decency.
These overgeneralizations by Democrats are well documented, and nowhere has it been more visible than in the presidential race. For at least the last two cycles before 2016, charges of racism, sexism and bigotry against Republican candidates have been commonplace from Democratic and liberal sources. Take for example, in 2008, when Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) referred to then-Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) as “that one” in a nationally televised presidential debate. Almost instantaneously, the accusations of racism against McCain were charged, over what was realistically a benign, albeit unfortunate, comment. In 2012, after making a speech at the NAACP convention, Mitt Romney was accused of racism in response to what objectively seems more like a tone-deaf rhetorical miscalculation on a speechwriter’s part, in a poorly thought out appeal to African-American voters. Later, following the second presidential debate, Romney again was on the receiving end of overinflated criticism, being labeled a sexist in reaction to his now infamous “binders full of women” remark. When stepping back and looking at many of these accusations, a clear pattern of over-exaggerated rhetoric emerges. At worst, many of these comments are simply ill advised rhetorical missteps, not damning indications of underlying bigotry.
In contrast, many of Trump’s words and actions can truly be attributed to his overwhelming racist and misogynistic biases. Whether it’s his (unconstitutional) proposal to ban Muslim immigration into the United States, his history of discrimination against black tenants in his buildings or anything else in a multitude of other scandals (including his espousal and propagation of the birther conspiracy theory), evidence of his racist sentiments is not hard to come by. There have also been strong undertones of misogyny in his words and actions for as long as he has been in the public sphere, such as when he attributed Fox newscaster Megyn Kelly’s hard line of questioning to her menstrual cycle, or his implication that Hillary Clinton does not have the “look” or the stamina to be President. Clearly, these comments and actions are in a whole other league of distastefulness, yet for some reason, the criticisms just don’t seem to stick.
When in 2008 and 2012, Democrats labeled McCain and Romney as racists and sexists for relatively benign comments, they effectively diluted the power of those accusations. Now, when Trump is rightly called out for doing or saying something overtly bigoted or insensitive, accusations of racism or sexism are dismissed simply as a matter of partisan opinion and rhetoric. To many, it seems accusing Republican candidates of racism and sexism is just what Democrats do, and these allegations are taken with a grain of salt. This is demonstrated in the fact that Trump’s support among Republicans is virtually identical to Romney’s and McCain’s, despite these seemingly grave condemnations. Ironically, when these qualities are the most salient, the criticisms are the least potent.
While Democrats surely aren’t the only ones to blame for the rise of Trump, they are far from inculpable. The irresponsible over-escalation of political rhetoric has created an environment where even the most heinous of accusations have been diluted to the point of near meaninglessness. As a whole, the Republican Party and conservatism in general are not accurately portrayed by this partisan characterization. However, now that Trump, who truly does embody and encourage some of the most odious stereotypes, has risen to such prominence, we can only hope the truly founded allegations and denunciations of his behavior ultimately break through the intense cacophony of political discourse, and have a meaningful impact on the impressions and opinions of voters.
Brendan Novak is a Viewpoint writer.
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