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David Brooks’ current column begins (sorry, won’t link to this):
What happens if the 2024 election is between Donald Trump and somebody like Bernie Sanders? What happens if the Republicans nominate someone who is morally unacceptable to millions of Americans while the Democrats nominate someone who is ideologically unacceptable?
Brooks has been constantly pounding this false narrative of the “Trump right” and the “Sanders Left” since before the 2016 election. It was pernicious then and it’s pernicious now. Anyone who still says “there are extremes on both sides” is aiding and abetting the destruction of democracy.
There is a lunatic, fascist party on the right called the Republicans and there is a centrist party called the Democrats. Any “extremes” on the “left” turn out to be fascist-enablers like Glenn Greenwald or Matt Taiibi or, increasingly, Bill Maher. Or Jill Stein voters, who are willing Russian pawns.
Not Bernie Sanders, and not even AOC and the Squad, who all hold extremely popular “ideological” positions: Medicare for All (or some form of universal health care); Action on Climate Change; Women’s Bodily Autonomy, including the right to an abortion; Substantial Gun Control; Voting rights; a Job Guarantee.
As for the supposed “center,” Brooks looks to scam artists “No Labels,” and gives away the game in the third paragraph, which says No Labels is a $70 million effort, with $46 million already pledged or raised. It’s all about the money, just as it is with fellow scamster Andrew Yang’s Forward party, standing for nothing while collecting millions from saps.
And what policies does No Labels support?
comprehensive immigration reform with stronger borders and a path to citizenship for DACA immigrants; American energy self-sufficiency while transitioning to cleaner sources; No guns for anyone under 21 and universal background checks; moderate abortion policies with abortion legal until about 15 weeks.
Sounds a lot like the Democratic platform, watered down (unacceptably) on abortion and likely other squishy policies.
Will No labels candidates re-elect Trump? David assures us he spoke to a CO “No Labels” activist who told Brooks, based on her experience, there will be more defecting Trump voters than Biden voters.
Objection your honor. Hearsay from some random person we never heard of based on anecdotal nonsense, signifying nothing.
A couple of months ago, Brooks seemed to be on the progressive bandwagon, writing about inequality, sounding more Bernie than Bernie. Brooksologists like Driftglass and Yas (and, humbly, Bethesda 1971) were not fooled. Brooks — omnipresent on my TV as the civil, savvy, wise pundit everywhere you look — is full of himself and full of mushy nonsense like “No Labels,” which itself is a fallback from defending warmongering, poor-attacking Republicans like he did until five minutes ago.