I will rephrase your first sentence to give a perspective that is too rarely understood, especially by those in the Acela corridor media and political bubble:
"Right now, many Republicans fear that when Democrats are in power—especially under the Biden regime—they will use the tools of government to target them, even punishing them economically. The fear that Democrats want to eliminate Republicans as a threat isn’t paranoia; it’s based on real actions, rhetoric, and policy shifts."
That helps explain the 2024 election and much of the behavior, like it or not, from the White House and the congressional GOP. Until Democrats understand that bridge building will be very challenging. It's more than just about hyperpolarization.
I think we're saying the same thing to a large degree. The perception of the other side as an existential threat leads to escalating cycles of retaliation. And the emotional desire to eliminate the opposing party, or their ideology, exists on both sides (or all sides), as I say in the next sentence where, for all their self-righteousness, if given the "magic pill" to eliminate Republicans (metaphorically), they'd take it.
I also note that Republicans "feel like they’ve been under siege for years."
However, positioning the current moment as equivalent to any before in history, or to anything we saw with the Biden administration, is exactly the kind of false-equivalency and bothsidesism we must confront.
Biden did not call for his opponents to be jailed, encourage violence, or threaten institutions to serve his personal interests. While critics argue the DOJ’s prosecution of Trump was politically motivated, the cases against him were initiated by independent investigators, grand juries, and courts—unlike Trump’s direct attempts to wield federal power for personal gain. There is a clear difference: Trump and his allies have explicitly used threats, intimidation, and legal pressure against political enemies in ways that are unprecedented in modern U.S. history.
I appreciate your response, but we disagree about the Biden Administration, especially its unconstitutional censorship-misinformation efforts, and open defiance of the Supreme Court regarding its student loan programs. Their and their predecessors to politicize our judicial and law enforcement agencies are a matter of record. I could go on, but you get the point. The differences aren't as straightforward as you claim, and the pressure against political enemies was acute during the late Obama and the Biden years.
I will rephrase your first sentence to give a perspective that is too rarely understood, especially by those in the Acela corridor media and political bubble:
"Right now, many Republicans fear that when Democrats are in power—especially under the Biden regime—they will use the tools of government to target them, even punishing them economically. The fear that Democrats want to eliminate Republicans as a threat isn’t paranoia; it’s based on real actions, rhetoric, and policy shifts."
That helps explain the 2024 election and much of the behavior, like it or not, from the White House and the congressional GOP. Until Democrats understand that bridge building will be very challenging. It's more than just about hyperpolarization.
I think we're saying the same thing to a large degree. The perception of the other side as an existential threat leads to escalating cycles of retaliation. And the emotional desire to eliminate the opposing party, or their ideology, exists on both sides (or all sides), as I say in the next sentence where, for all their self-righteousness, if given the "magic pill" to eliminate Republicans (metaphorically), they'd take it.
I also note that Republicans "feel like they’ve been under siege for years."
However, positioning the current moment as equivalent to any before in history, or to anything we saw with the Biden administration, is exactly the kind of false-equivalency and bothsidesism we must confront.
Biden did not call for his opponents to be jailed, encourage violence, or threaten institutions to serve his personal interests. While critics argue the DOJ’s prosecution of Trump was politically motivated, the cases against him were initiated by independent investigators, grand juries, and courts—unlike Trump’s direct attempts to wield federal power for personal gain. There is a clear difference: Trump and his allies have explicitly used threats, intimidation, and legal pressure against political enemies in ways that are unprecedented in modern U.S. history.
I appreciate your response, but we disagree about the Biden Administration, especially its unconstitutional censorship-misinformation efforts, and open defiance of the Supreme Court regarding its student loan programs. Their and their predecessors to politicize our judicial and law enforcement agencies are a matter of record. I could go on, but you get the point. The differences aren't as straightforward as you claim, and the pressure against political enemies was acute during the late Obama and the Biden years.
I appreciate the thoughtful engagement. It's helpful to hear different perspectives, even if they diverge from my own.