How many times have we said it?

The hypocrisy of the Left knows no bounds. After a summer of all but donning cheerleader uniforms and rushing to the streets in support of “peaceful protesters,” Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Kamala Harris, and pretty much the entirety of the Democrat Party are now running away from the riots as fast as their hypocritical legs can carry them.

On August 31, Biden declared:

“I want to be very clear about all of this: Rioting is not protesting. Looting is not protesting. Setting fires is not protesting. None of this is protesting. It’s lawlessness, plain and simple. And those who do it should be prosecuted. Violence will not bring change, it will only bring destruction. It’s wrong in every way.”

And Pelosi last week said:

“We support peaceful demonstrations. We participate in them. They are part of the essence of our democracy. That does not include looting, starting fires, or rioting. They should be prosecuted. That is lawlessness.”

Speaker Pelosi: "We support peaceful demonstrations. We participate in them. They are part of the essence of our democracy. That does not include looting, starting fires, or rioting. They should be prosecuted. That is lawlessness." pic.twitter.com/Xq89RLR70f

— The Hill (@thehill) September 17, 2020

And let’s not forget Kamala Harris.

I join @JoeBiden in condemning this violence. This can not—and must not—be who we are. Americans deserve a president who will heal our country and bring people together—not fan the flames of hate and division. https://t.co/21h00uFFR7

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 30, 2020

So why the 180? A sudden change of heart? Not a chance. The answer can be found in four simple words: poll results, and ballot box.

As reported by the Associated Press, a new AP-NORC poll tells the tale.

As the decision in Kentucky to bring charges against only one of three police officers involved in the raid that killed Breonna Taylor sparks renewed protests nationwide, a new survey finds support has fallen for demonstrations against systemic racism.

The poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that 44% of Americans disapprove of protests in response to police violence against Black Americans, while 39% approve. In June, 54% approved.

AP-NORC poll: Support for racial injustice protests declineshttps://t.co/vPSJ1mVkqx

— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) September 24, 2020

Let’s “clarify” a couple of things before we go any further. “Racial injustice protests” and “demonstrations against systemic racism”? Let’s go to “Jen” and let her straighten Zeke and AP out:

AKA riots

— Jen Stroup (@JenStroup) September 24, 2020

Among the poll’s September finding vs. those in June:

• Compared to June, fewer Americans think that deadly force is more commonly used against a Black person than a white person or that police who cause harm need greater consequences.
• While a large majority of Black Americans approve of the protests, that support has also dropped since June.
• Views of the protests differ by party identification with 70% of Democrats approving and 75% of Republicans disapproving.
• 72% of white Democrats approve of the protests while just 9% of white Republicans agree.
• 52% of white Democrats say all or most of the protests have been peaceful, while 53% of Republicans say all or most have been violent.
• Democrats are more than three times as likely as Republicans to say police are treated too leniently by the justice system (80% vs. 24%)
• Forty-four percent of the public, including 35% of white and 76% of Black Americans say police violence against civilians is very or extremely serious, slightly lower than the numbers in June.

The nationwide poll was conducted September 11-14, 2020.

Two factors appear to be at play.

First, while the results among Democrat voters have moved slightly towards the center, the shift in rhetoric from Biden, Pelosi, Harris  & Co. suggests that the Democrats know they can’t win in November by playing only to the far-Left.

Second, as reported by the New York Times, “protesters” are increasingly moving to residential and largely white neighborhoods with independent voters.

NYT: "The marches in Portland are increasingly moving to residential and largely white neighborhoods, where demonstrators with bullhorns shout for people to come 'out of your house and into the street' and demonstrate their support."https://t.co/H4JLfL8uQd

— Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) September 21, 2020

We saw this in the aftermath of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death with protesters showing up outside the homes of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who will oversee the confirmation process of Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee,  which he is expected to announce Saturday afternoon.

More, via the NYT:

Nearly four months after the killing of George Floyd by the Minneapolis police, some protesters against police brutality are taking a more confrontational — and personal — approach. The marches in Portland are increasingly moving to residential and largely white neighborhoods, where demonstrators with bullhorns shout for people to come “out of your house and into the street” and demonstrate their support.

These more aggressive protests target ordinary people going about their lives, especially those who decline to demonstrate allegiance to the cause. That includes a diner in Washington who refused to raise her fist to show support for Black Lives Matter, or, in several cities, confused drivers who happened upon the protests.

The bottom line.

Even if Pelosi, Biden, Harris, and other Democrats have not been genuine in their condemnation of the ongoing mayhem — not that a Democrat would ever take a public position different from his or her actual beliefs (lie), of course — they must not be seen as soft — if not outright supportive of a spread to the suburbs. While that would please the radical Left, it would not play well at all in November.

As I suggested at the beginning, Everything the Democrat Party supports, opposes, attacks, or defends can be connected to the ballot box with no more than two dots.

When caught between the rhetoric of “peaceful protests” and “riots,” with the opinion polls closing in, sometimes, political expediency forces Democrats to compromise their “values.”

H/T ~ Twitchy