“We’re a big-tent party” is the latest talking point of frantic Democrats. It sounds impressive, but what, exactly, does it mean? Democrats claim to welcome everyone regardless of race, religion, sex, or ancestry—with one caveat: You must agree with Democrat-approved opinions on all substantive issues, which makes it a rather peculiar kind of inclusiveness.
One would think that a genuine big tent would include people who disagree on abortion, immigration, gun ownership, taxation, education, climate policy, and crime, but Democrats do not tolerate diversity of thought. On the contrary, the Democrats’ big tent resembles an exclusive club whose members are allowed to look different but are expected to think alike.
A black voter is welcome, but he may encounter hostility if he supports school choice or opposes racial preferences. A Hispanic voter is celebrated, unless he favors tighter border security. A woman is considered strong, unless she opposes abortion. A gay voter is embraced, unless he favors limited government and lower taxes. In reality, diversity is admired in the Democrat tent only when it behaves.
The religious Democrat has an especially difficult time. He is told that his faith is respected, but only if it does not interfere with the party’s platform. He may sing hymns on Sunday, but on Monday morning he is expected to surrender any religious conviction that conflicts with progressive doctrine.
The same problem confronts working-class Democrats who no longer recognize the party that claims to represent them. These Democrats care less about fashionable social theories than food prices, neighborhood crime, secure borders, the cost of energy, and good schools.
Instead of embracing them, Democrat elites treat such voters as unenlightened inferiors. If they complain about illegal immigration, they risk being called xenophobic. If they object to radical school policies, they are labeled intolerant. If they are concerned about crime, they are accused of engaging in dog-whistle racism.
Nevertheless, Democrats, without embarrassment, have made inclusiveness a central theme of their moral identity. They do not merely claim to represent a broad coalition; they brazenly suggest they are more tolerant, more compassionate, and more enlightened than their opponents.
None of this makes any sense, of course, because if you advertise yourself as the party of inclusion, you should not find it difficult to include people whose opinions differ from yours. Welcoming a variety of faces while demanding uniformity of thought is nothing more than conformity with good public relations.
The central fallacy of identity politics is the assumption that people should think according to their demographic category. It treats individuals as interchangeable members of groups, then acts surprised when they refuse to behave as instructed.
In a recent interview, Justice Clarence Thomas said that when he came to Washington, people believed that because he was black, he was obligated to hold certain political opinions. In response, he told them, “I’m not confused. You’re confused. You confuse me with someone who’s been in indentured servitude.” His point was that judging how someone should think or behave based on their physical characteristics—especially race—is a form of prejudice that denies individual freedom.
Individuals have their own experiences, interests, beliefs, and ambitions. A factory worker does not necessarily think like a university professor. A legal immigrant may have a very different view of illegal immigration than a political activist. A mother worried about her child’s education may not care what the latest ideological fashion requires her to believe.
By necessity, a genuine big tent would be disorderly. Its occupants would argue. Religious traditionalists would clash with secular progressives. Union workers would disagree with environmental activists. Small-business owners would resist tax increases favored by government employees. Compromise would be unavoidable, because no faction would possess the moral authority to silence everyone else.
Such a tent would require humility—the recognition that one’s political opponents can be wrong without being morally deficient. Unfortunately, today’s Democrats find it much easier to declare disagreement “dangerous”—or, horror of all horrors—”a threat to democracy.” And once opponents are portrayed as dangerous rather than just people who happen to hold different beliefs, there’s no reason to listen to them. It’s much easier to simply exclude them in the name of inclusion. Humorous, to be sure, but the hypocrisy is breathtaking.
To be fair, the Democrat Party may actually be a big tent, but size alone proves nothing. A circus has a big tent, but everyone inside still performs according to the ringmaster’s instructions. The question is not how many different kinds of people are admitted; it’s how many different opinions are permitted after they enter the tent?
Will the Democrats ever be able to rise above their belief that those who disagree with them are immoral or evil, or both? Considering where we are today, it’s pretty hard to imagine. Which is why their “big tent” is likely to remain what most political slogans eventually become: an attractive phrase concealing a hypocritical reality.
The message is straightforward: Our tent is big, and it’s open to all, but the rules are nonnegotiable. Now, sit down, shut up, and do as you’re told!
The poetic justice to all this is that the Dems allowed the communists to enter their tent, believing they could exploit them for their own purposes. Instead, the commies have taken control of the tent and are threatening to burn it to the ground. Karma is, indeed, alive and well.
Postscript: This is yet another reminder that political parties do not exist to fight for the rights of their constituents. Political parties are organizations focused on acquiring more power for themselves, which is why anyone expecting intellectual honesty from their party is destined for disappointment.
Copyright © 2020 Robert Ringer
ROBERT RINGER is a New York Times #1 bestselling author who has appeared on numerous national radio and television shows, including The Tonight Show, Today, The Dennis Miller Show, Good Morning America, ABC Nightline, The Charlie Rose Show, as well as Fox News and Fox Business. To sign up for a free subscription to his mind-expanding daily insights, visit www.robertringer.com.
Help American Liberty PAC in our mission to elect conservatives and save our nation. Support – American Liberty PAC