Bill Maher surely let some folks down Friday night when he suggested the Defund the Police movement — brace yourselves — is going to have a backlash.
The predicted effect: more people voting for Trump.
Here’s how the host of HBO’s Real Time put it:
“Liberals want to take police money, police funds and divert it to community services, which sounds like a very good thing, good idea.”
But:
“[T]hey’re calling it ‘Defund the Police,’ which sounds bad!”
Well, it certainly doesn’t sound safe, given that police are the only barrier between order and chaos. In my view, they’re a barrier in great need of reform; but no barrier? That definitely won’t protect or serve.
And, as pointed out by Maher, black Americans are very down on the idea:
“I think it’s a terrible way to put it. Only a third of black folks want to — in the latest poll — defund the police.”
Maher ripped the Dems somethin’ fierce:
“They must have meetings to be this f—–g stupid about politics. ‘Hey, guys. We’re making some headway here. Um, how can we turn this into something that makes people have to vote for Trump?’”
If so, it was a genius move. Instead of learning from 2016, in these last few months just before the election, the Party of the Donkey looks to be trying to sell violent revolution and terror-tinged anarchy.
Moderate, schmoderate.
And Bill’s concerned:
“I worry that Democrats are wandering into another purity test that’s not going to serve them well. And it’s going to be about how much you want to get rid of police altogether.”
Yep.
And when it comes to marketing, Trump’s no fool — he’s seizing the opportunity like a mob taking over 6 blocks of Seattle.
It’s a political lay-up.
Or, if you prefer, a bowling analogy: The Commander-in-Chief’s opponents are installing bumpers for him.
That’s not to say the election’s in the bag, but those on the left side of the aisle know a thing or two about guns that only point at shoes.
Although, some Dems are trying to distance themselves from the revolution.
The Hill reports:
“The slogan may be misleading without interpretation,” Rev. Al Sharpton said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” this past week, adding that he understood the phrase to be more about deep-rooted reform efforts. “I don’t think anyone other than the far extremes are saying we don’t want any kind of policing at all,” he said.
But the need to explain the meaning behind the wording comes with its own set of critics. “If you’re explaining, you’re losing, and there’s a lot of explaining going on,” Meghan McCain, a right-leaning commentator said on ABC’s The View. “If you mean reform, say reform. If you mean defund, say defund. People are confused,” she added.
She’s right. If you’re saying “Defund” followed by caveats, you shouldn’t be saying “Defund.”
And all the radical talk is only separating us further. And detrimentally so.
Maher’s not a fan; he’s far from conservative, but not as far as many on TV — the comedian often champions free speech and the open discussion of ideas.
As noted by The Daily Wire, in November, he encouraged people to get along, despite their differences:
“This year, just celebrate Thanksgiving. Don’t try to win it. And never forget the single shining truth about democracy: It means sharing a country with a——s you can’t stand.”
At the time, the host warned that the U.S. isn’t above civil war:
“Lately we’ve been hearing more and more about a second civil war, which sounds impossible in this modern, affluent country. It is not. We talk about Trump as an existential threat, but his side sees Democratic control of the government the exact same way. When both sides believe the other guy taking over means the end of the world, yes, you can have a civil war.”
Have we grown closer or farther away from it since those comments? The answer seems obvious.
And it isn’t a comforting one.
Back to defunding, the idea is a dead-end with the voters, and Democrats have really stepped in it. Whether they take any action toward practical application or not, they’ve shown the American people they’re willing to endorse it.
And that — as Bill said — equals levers pulled for Trump.
Foot-shot confirmed.
-ALEX
See 3 more pieces from me:
Cops Are Canceled: Minneapolis City Council Unanimously Votes to Dismantle the Police
Lady Antebellum Changes Their Name, Apologizes for Making Anyone Feel ‘Unsafe’
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