On Thursday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Hardball,” host Chris Matthews offered his own addled, positive spin from the fallout after the resignation of Minnesota senator Al Franken, saying, “The worst you can say about Democrats is they’re too pure.”
Matthews commented:
I don’t know how you can avoid the education in this. The worst you can say about Democrats is they’re too pure. And that’s a stupid thing to say. But that’s the worst thing you can say about them. These guys set too high a standard for public office. How’s that for an argument? My opponents, the party of my opposition, they set too high a standard. You know, come on. What do you think?
Jason Johnson of The Root responded:
That’s the thing. I think this is wonderful because it’s a standard that we should all be following. First and foremost, Newt Gingrich is the last person who should be concerned about the Democratic Party or the Republican Party, for that matter. Those are not the allies that you want to have. But I think it’s important that the Democratic Party has at least remained consistent. Look, they’re not gonna win over Roy Moore voters with this; they’re not gonna win over Trump voters with this.
But what you can do, there’s something to be said, and voters will pick this up. Voters don’t like parties that aren’t consistent. They don’t trust you when you preach one thing and your policy is something else. So for the Democratic Party to say, “Hey, look. Not only are we complain about the war against women, not only are we going to be the party that represents women’s issues economically and policy-wise, we’re going to hold our party to that standard.
I think it increases enthusiasm; it makes people much more happy about the party. It may not bring any Republicans over, but it will certainly make Democrats much happier, and they can bring some attention and some excitement to what might be Keith Ellison, or the woman lieutenant governor of Minnesota running for that position.
Matthews replied, “I was thinking that, too. Well said, there, Jason.”
Yup, the same party that idolized sexual harassers, philanderers, and abusers from JFK to Teddy Kennedy to Bill Clinton, turned a blind eye to harassers such as John Conyers, suddenly has morphed into the party that is “consistent” because Franken resigned?
In truth, the Democratic Party was more consistent before Franken resigned. They have been blindly obedient to men mistreating women since the days of FDR dallying with Lucy Mercer while his wife Eleanor was gallivanting about. For them to suddenly discover the virtues of men treating women with grace is highly inconsistent with their past behavior.
Not to mention, of course, the 400 lb. gorilla in the room: the Democrats lose nothing by dumping Franken; the Minnesota governor will simply appoint a Democrat to take his place.
Too pure? Why, they are as white as the driven snow.