And while the left’s disagreements with Biden’s approach toward Israel are rational enough, it ignores his willingness to affirm the humanity and dignity of Muslims and Arabs.Harm reduction is a valid argument for voting one way or another, but these types of pieces aren't aimed at Arab Americans or even progressives, they're aimed at reassuring centrist melts that Those People are being Unreasonable again.
That distinguishes him from the Republican Party, which is led by a man who routinely excludes Muslims and immigrant communities from moral concern. Donald Trump has mocked the very idea that the descendants of immigrants from Muslim countries have any right to participate in civic life. (“She’s telling us how to run our country,” he once said of Ilhan Omar. “How did you do where you came from? How’s your country doing? She’s going to tell us — she’s telling us how to run our country.”) He has more recently promised to exclude immigrants who “don’t like our religion.”
It’s understandable that progressives demand more than denunciations of Islamophobia and hate crimes against Arab Americans. But sadly, the Democrats’ banal affirmation of civic equality for all Americans is not something that can be taken for granted.
At least Biden thinks you're human, guys.
More generally, the "scolding people who might not vote for you" method of voter outreach is not especially helpful and is designed to reassure the people in power - and the people with the microphones and the people with billion dollar campaign budgets - that they are doing everything right, and it is the voters who are wrong.
Some people needed to be centered, with entire political agendas and campaigns directed at them in hopes to trick them into voting for "us," and some people need to suck it up and eat shit. Suburban soccer moms: please please vote for us! Darker-hued people: all your fault if things get worse!
Possibly saying that very loudly is not helpful! If you want to help, that it is.
Nice humanity you've got there, not our fault if you (or your cousins) lose it.
Someone with Jon's level of influence - much greater than mine! - should be using it to encourage The Democrats to offer more than "banal affirmation of civic equality."