No Steps Forward, Four Steps Back

"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel."

It struck me that telling people with whom you don't agree should leave the country is both one of the most anti-American and, well, American phrases we have in our political lexicon.

It also struck me that here we have a president who bathes in conspiracy theories, was elected on a platform that pointed out how terrible everything was in the country under Presidents Obama and Bush, and made an inauguration speech that talked about carnage in the cities, but nobody told him to go back to...wherever.

Because telling someone to leave the United States is also the last refuge of those who have trouble with the idea that we actually live in a representative democracy, and that it's a messy form of government. That you have to tolerate offensive speech. That as a leader, you must be responsible for your actions and the actions other take in response to your leadership. Telling someone to leave is intellectually lazy because then you don't have to engage that person in a debate or take ownership of your ideas in a discussion or an argument.

What truly bothers me the most, though, is the number of people who see that asking someone to leave the country because they are criticizing it is a legitimate response. It is not. And as I've said before, I don't hear the president asking white Democrats or undocumented people from Russia, Poland or any other European country to leave.

In the end, though, Democrats have to rise above this and not get into a fight on the president's terms. He's not going to run for reelection on issues that might make this country better. He's going to fight the small fight against people, not for ideas. Democrats have to run on how they are going to make this country better, and how most people's lives will become more productive, less stressful, and more focused on improving ourselves, our environment, and our culture.

Remember that 54% of the voters in 2016 voted against Donald Trump. They need to be reminded why. And those who voted for him but see him for the divider that he is must be reminded why they should vote for a Democrat in 2020. That's the goal. The only goal.

Lose sight of it at your peril.

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