Virginia Dems Find Enemies to the Left

by James A. Bacon

At Virginia’s Democratic Party convention three days ago, Senator Tim Kaine wrapped up the proceedings with a good old-fashioned bashing of the party’s political opponents.

“Democrats like building. Republicans like to tear down,” he told the party faithful, as reported by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

“There is a battle between those who stand up and stand together and those who would tear us apart, and we are faced with the greatest teardown artist in the history of American politics,” he said, referring to former President Trump.

The irony of Kaine’s remarks, at least as reported by the RTD, is that he had nothing to say about the pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had disrupted the convention earlier in the day. A group of banner-carrying protesters had walked down the main aisle as a woman screeched — and I mean screeched — “Democrats, Democrats, can’t you see? Gen-o-cide is your legacy!”

There is an old saying that for Democrats there are no enemies to the left. But lefties don’t reciprocate the tolerance. A motley coalition of the self-described “oppressed” have joined in their denunciation of Israeli “settler colonialism,” the American “war machine” that equips the Israelis, President Joe Biden for his support of Israel, and everyone in the Democratic Party establishment who supports Joe Biden.

Outside the convention held in downtown Richmond, protesters targeted Senator Mark Warner and Democratic Party gubernatorial hopeful Abigail Spanberger. Stu Smith, proprietor of the StuStuStudio account on X, aggregated video of protesters chanting:

“Mark Warner, go to hell.”

“Spanberger, go to hell.”

More chants:

“Palestine will live forever.”

“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

Not all pro-Palestinian protesters engage in moronic, mind-numbing chants. Some are capable of stringing coherent sentences together. The fellow in this video explains why they are so upset with the Dems:

We are witnessing an unwavering loyalty from the Democratic Party to the Zionist entity. … Our state (Virginia) is central to the imperialist project, home to the Pentagon, major shipping ports, corporate headquarters to tech and weapons manufacturers.

Virginia Democrats at the convention adopted a resolution calling for peace and harmony in Gaza, a cease-fire, release of hostages, and humanitarian assistance. The resolution commended President Biden, condemned “all forms of violence and extremism,” and urged all parties to pursue a diplomatic resolution.

View the clips and draw your own conclusions, but the pro-Hamas protesters don’t seem to be interested in compromise and negotiation. They are rude and belligerent. With minds addled by the truncated discourse of social media, they have nothing to offer in the form of reasoned debate. In a less deranged era, they would be voting for Democratic Party candidates and rallying against Donald Trump. But they are so far left that they seem incapable of distinguishing between Biden and Trump.

Responsible Democratic leaders could distance themselves from the nihilistic militants in a bid to seize the rhetorical middle ground, but they seem reluctant to do so. Kaine passed up the perfect opportunity to couple his expected obligatory blast at Republicans with the assurance that Democrats also reject those on the far left who would “tear us apart.”

But he didn’t. His Republican rival for Senate, Hung Cao, might ask him why not.

 

 

 


Share this article



ADVERTISEMENT

(comments below)



ADVERTISEMENT

(comments below)


Comments

59 responses to “Virginia Dems Find Enemies to the Left”

  1. WayneS Avatar

    “Democrats like building. Republicans like to tear down,” he told the party faithful,

    I never knew Tim Kaine was such an adept comedian. That joke works on more than one level…

    1. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      Debates — “If the rules are enforced, answers are limited to two minutes. Think about how much you rambled leaving a voicemail message you hadn't prepared in advance, and multiply by four.”

    1. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      Which one is Putin?

      1. WayneS Avatar

        The one wearing a dress.

  2. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    you’ve got enemies to the right too. You just don’t know it yet.

  3. Lefty665 Avatar
    Lefty665

    Folks who object to Warner, Spanberger, senile dementia and genocide have got some issues right, or left as the case may be. There may be some life left in the Dems yet. Their methods of communication leave something to be desired.

    As Veep candidate in '16 Timmy has standing as a replacement if the Dems at the convention come to their senses, retire Joe to the beach to gently complete his slide into dementia (and takes Giggles with him). Kaine is a bright guy. He could probably win against Trump.

    1. I disagree. Kaine’s national brand, if he even has one, is “that guy who lost with Hilary”, which is not great. He doesn’t have the national clout like a DeSantis or Newsom.

      He also, you know, lost to Trump. My first pick for replacing Biden isn’t the guy who has lost to Trump once in the past. Not to say it’d be necessarily bad for Kaine, but Dems have better.

      1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
        Eric the half a troll

        Leftie is really not interested in Dems winning anything.

        1. Lefty665 Avatar
          Lefty665

          Compared to what is the question. With a real candidate I'd much prefer a Dem win. With senile dementia and Giggles as the ticket, not so much.

          C'mon Dems, there's still time, get a real candidate. Hint, the country ain't ready for Californication. Some clout that DeSantis guy has. How'd you like the way he knocked Trump out of the running?

          If Dems are actually looking for an alternative to demented Joe and Giggles they could do a lot worse than Kaine. He's the only one of the bunch that has national campaign experience beside Hillary (cough cough) and Kerry (more coughs). Lots of name recognition, bright and sensible.

          1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
            Eric the half a troll

            There is the tell. Not one iota of such sage wisdom for the Republicans. Only sophomoric insults for the Democratic President and Vice President. Your supposed moderate political stance is a sham. You are all in for the Right – that is abundantly clear.

          2. Lefty665 Avatar
            Lefty665

            The Repubs are hopeless, Trump has them by the balls. There's no point talking to them. There's still hope the Dems will come to their senses, unless of course they really would rather have another 4 years of Trump.

            You call it sophomoric, I call it behavior observations, although I will give you credit for having a pretty firm command of sophomoric. I spent a career working with people with severe disabilities. Demented Joe and Giggles would have fit right in as clients.

            I'm an old school New Deal populist Dem. There hasn't been room in the party for that in a long time. There's some conservative stuff that makes sense too, but no I'm not "all in for the right." You need to get your glasses fixed.

            Where I pick at you is for continuing to waste your time ragging on Trump (much of which I agree with) instead of working to nominate a candidate for your Party who can beat him.

            You're a bright guy, I give your stuff thumbs up when you use your head for something besides a hat rack.

          3. Eric the half a troll Avatar
            Eric the half a troll

            As I’ve noted, I am perfectly happy with our candidates the choice is not even close. If we end up with another Trump presidency, it will be 100% the fault of Republicans who vote for him as it was the last time. “Sophomoric” is accurate as you demonstrate with every post. Finally, I will “rag on Trump” as you put it at every opportunity I have. If Republicans are going to attempt to install him in the presidency again, I will do all I can to convey the stupidity of their actions as they do it. For every criticism that is leveled at Biden, Trump is 10x guilty. Again, it ain’t even close. You know it, I know it, even Republicans know it. Let’s vote already!!

          4. Lefty665 Avatar
            Lefty665

            It's not going to be just Repubs that put Trump back in office if the Dems don't get their heads up and retire dementia and Giggles. The country has had it with dementia. The erosion is there in most voting groups.

            They sloshed towards Trump in 16 and towards Biden in 20. After 4 years of dementia and Giggles they're sloshing back toward Trump this year. Neither of the party bases has moved much, they won't be the difference in this election. The message was unmistakable when the naked political overkill of 34 felony convictions for one hush money payoff was not more unattractive to the country than dementia.

            Hope the pyramids along de Nile are nice, enjoy 'em while you can. Come November I'll be back to remind you that I tried to warn you.

          5. Eric the half a troll Avatar
            Eric the half a troll

            And each comment continues to confirm my original assessment. You have no interest in Dems winning anything… anytime…

          6. Lefty665 Avatar
            Lefty665

            Pretty weak tea. Have you no standards in troll land to uphold? I expect better of you. I'm disappointed.

          7. Eric the half a troll Avatar
            Eric the half a troll

            Not disappointed in you. You are if nothing else predictable.

          8. Lefty665 Avatar
            Lefty665

            Only 42% of Dems are happy with Biden as the candidate. There's still time for you to get on the bandwagon for the Dems to nominate a real candidate. It's what you can do for your party.

            Glad you find me to be consistent, but I would be happy if you lived up to troll standards. C'mon, you can do better.

          9. Lefty665 Avatar
            Lefty665

            After last night has reality sunk in? If you don't want another 4 years of Trump, ya Dems gotta replace Biden as the candidate, and not with Giggles or Californication. Tim Kaine may be the best shot the Dems have.

            The truly scary part is that Biden might be president for the rest of this term. The 25th Amendment and Giggles are not a solution. Are you happy Joe's proud he beat Medicare? (Whisper) Trump did not win the debate, Biden lost it, catastrophically. No joke.

          10. Lefty665 Avatar
            Lefty665

            After last night has reality sunk in? If you don't want another 4 years of Trump, ya Dems gotta replace Biden as the candidate, and not with Giggles or Californication. Tim Kaine may be the best shot the Dems have.

            The truly scary part is that Biden might be president for the rest of this term. The 25th Amendment and Giggles are not a solution. Are you happy Joe's proud he beat Medicare? (Whisper) Trump did not win the debate, Biden lost it, catastrophically. No joke.

          11. WayneS Avatar

            I don't like Tim Kaine, but if he picked Jared Golden as his VP I could be talked into abandoning my plan to write in my own name and supporting them instead.

          12. Lefty665 Avatar
            Lefty665

            I was active in the Dems during the Warner and Kaine years and had considerable contact with both of them. Warner was dumb as a stump, absolutely unimpressive (still is). Kaine on the other hand was bright and at least gave the impression of paying attention and considering alternatives. Dunno how much his years in the Senate have debilitated him. If you gave me a choice of which Dem to replace Biden it would be him over Giggles, Newsom (the Joker), Whitmer or the rest of the usual cast of nincompoops.

          13. Marty Chapman Avatar
            Marty Chapman

            But are you surprised. I suspect not!

          14. Marty Chapman Avatar
            Marty Chapman

            But are you surprised. I suspect not!

  4. Eric the half a troll Avatar
    Eric the half a troll

    Is this the new mainstream Republican position or are these your enemies on the Right…?

    Matt Rosendale (MT-02) says he’ll file an amendment to DOD funding bill that would ban funding for the use of IVF. He says IVF is “morally wrong.”

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e59d6f76e8db79f3afdb83f658b05fafd2a13cba0b8cdf59e28077f02dd72fc3.jpg

    1. LarrytheG Avatar
      LarrytheG

      This demonstrates the difference between what some GOP leaders say while at the same time there are other GOP who have very different ideas and when the legislation gets in front of the the larger GOP, we find out what they actually do support. That's the essential problem in what some call "messaging". What is the actual position when the votes are taken? Dems can play the same game but in general, in my view, someone like Kaine (or Warner) – I trust his messaging to reflect how he will vote in general.

      1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
        Eric the half a troll

        Also, given some recent votes on protecting IVF, we see that the position of Rosendale is much more mainstream Republican and is not restricted to the “militant” right wingers. Note how the Conservative contributors to this blog avoid the topic like the plague.

        1. LarrytheG Avatar
          LarrytheG

          Many in the GOP (as opposed to all per the moderator wishes about "disparaging entire groups) – see messaging as the
          answer as if an actual policy is a different issue
          to be decided if they win !

      2. DJRippert Avatar
        DJRippert

        You live in a fantasy world where only the GOP has fringe oddballs. The Squad (now down 1 member), Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren – all loons.

        Does the Democratic Party support socialism? Is that a core plank of the Democratic platform?

        Here's a list of current and former US elected officials from the Democratic Socialist Party:

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Democratic_Socialists_of_America_public_officeholders

        1. LarrytheG Avatar
          LarrytheG

          Oh, I don't think that at all and as you p0int out they got their own issues right now.

          But what I am saying is that the Dems don't imply one thing in their messaging then do something else on votes – like abortion and IVF.

          You're not going to have Dems saying they support Israel then vote against them. They pretty much say what they do in my view.

          Do Dems support "socialism"?

          who is asking and who is answering?

          Is it really an untrue claimed position by an opponent? Strawman?

          For instance, is Social Security and Medicare "socialism"?

          Public highways? Public School? Medicaid?

          Are those things that GOP folks also support?

    2. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      Faith-based governance is necessary because it won’t stand on its merits. Wait! I thought Republicans were all about meritocracy?

      1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
        Eric the half a troll

        The issue here is that such faith-based governance appears to be the goal of not just the far right but mainstream Republicans these days. Well, really more of an authoritarian governance camouflaged as faith-based. It seems that the enemies Jim faces from the far-right are really not that far right.

        1. Nancy Naive Avatar
          Nancy Naive

          We have met the enemy and he is him.

          1. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            I have told JAB that both you and Eric can get my email address… so we could talk offline.

          2. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            I have told JAB that both you and Eric can get my email address… so we could talk offline.

          3. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Why? It would reduce the webpage storage by 50%.

            enza_nancy@yahoo.com.au

            It’s untraceable. Note, it’s in Australia.

          4. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            🙂

          5. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            I have a .ru email through a Russian ISP by I stopped using that one because of Snowden. Wouldn’t want ADM Poindexter lumping me in with such unsavory characters as Putin, and Trump.

          6. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            I use a re-direct that knocks down some spam from overseas and some egregious phishing but
            a second filter which gets 99% of the rest and the remainder I will block and label as SPAM.

          7. Eric the half a troll Avatar
            Eric the half a troll
          8. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            lgross@pobox.com

  5. Ken Reid Avatar
    Ken Reid

    Scant media coverage of this, but lots of media coverage of the "rift" in the GOP in the Good-McGuire congressional race! But the "rift" in the Dem party was on full display in the NY primary last night where Jamaal Bowman became the first Squad member to lose a primary, to a pro-Israel Democrat, George Latimer. The "rift" among the Dems is more severe than the GOP. Nikki Haley voters are coming home to Trump. African Americans and Latinos are going his way — and so are Jewish voters. I am Jewish and see this first hand among my brethren. Jill stein, the Green Party candidate for president, and who did very well in the 2016 race against Hillary Clinton, stands to be the candidate whom the radical anti-Zionist crowd and Muslims will be voting for as a protest –especially if Israel's war against Hamas and Hezbollah expands. She is on the ballot in Wisconsin and Michigan and 25 other states; and soon in Virginia. This is how Trump won in 2016 — Stein took enough votes from Clinton in key states to give Trump those electoral votes. A February poll showed a majority of Jews in New York State (which has the largest Jewish population in the US) for Trump. Biden carried the Jewish vote in NY with 55 percent in 2020. Expansion of the war to wipe out Hamas and Hezbollah will only bring more images to the TV screen of dying civilians and pressure on the Dems to turn their backs on Israel. I f hope the RNC and associated conservative groups air TV ads tying Biden and the Dems to chaos — not just the anti-Semitic attacks by Leftists and anti-Zionists, but BLM riots, climate protesters destroying art and historic sites, and the porous Mexican border, where we learn over 100 ISIS fighters crossed. Essentially, the Democrats this year will be tagged with riots and mayhem like they were in 1968 when Richard Nixon was elected and George Wallace grabbed electoral votes in 5 states. The upcoming Dem convention will be a potential repeat of Chicago in 68 — excpet I predict the protests wont just be outside the arena, but INSIDE by radical anti-Israel whack job delegates.

    1. LarrytheG Avatar
      LarrytheG

      So one way to look at this is that the Dems chose the moderate. Right? Who was the moderate in the Va. 5th? The moderate?

      The real question for the GOP and all these diverse voters is what they proffer for abortion and IVF? If they PROMISE stricter abortion laws, will that get them more votes? If they promise less restrictive abortion laws, what happens to their base?

      So on the other side, if the Dem primary winners are pro-Israel, how does that match up to the Repubs?

    2. Eric the half a troll Avatar
      Eric the half a troll

      “Biden carried the Jewish vote in NY with 55 percent in 2020.”

      Given that the poll you referenced had a 13 point margin of error, I think we can safely conclude that Biden is perfectly fine with Jewish NYers.

      1. Ken Reid Avatar
        Ken Reid

        From Siena College :" It has an overall margin of error of +/- 4.2 percentage points including the design effects resulting from weighting." No way Trump will carry NY, but if NY Jews are trending this way toward him, think about the impact in the swing states. Dems are clearly divided and that may enable Trump to win again.

        1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
          Eric the half a troll

          “Jews made up just 8 per cent of the large sample of 806 people. That means the margin of error for the 65 Jewish respondents would be potentially much larger than 4.2 percentage points.

          Mark Mellman, president of Democratic Majority for Israel, told JNS that “the margin of error for Jews in the Sienna poll is plus or minus 13 points on each number.””

          “…if NY Jews are trending this way toward him…”

          They aren’t.

        2. Eric the half a troll Avatar
          Eric the half a troll

          “Jews made up just 8 per cent of the large sample of 806 people. That means the margin of error for the 65 Jewish respondents would be potentially much larger than 4.2 percentage points.

          Mark Mellman, president of Democratic Majority for Israel, told JNS that “the margin of error for Jews in the Sienna poll is plus or minus 13 points on each number.””

          “…if NY Jews are trending this way toward him…”

          They aren’t.

          1. Ken Reid Avatar
            Ken Reid

            Nice way to spin it by quoting a Democrat! Of course he's going to try to make it look good for his candidate, but Biden is looking like toast and American Jews will be playing a big role in throwing him out and hopefully more whacko Dems like Jamaal Bowman.

          2. Eric the half a troll Avatar
            Eric the half a troll

            It’s math, Ken. I know that may not be your strong point but math knows no politics.

    3. Eric the half a troll Avatar
      Eric the half a troll

      “Expansion of the war to wipe out Hamas and Hezbollah will only bring more images to the TV screen of dying civilians and pressure on the Dems to turn their backs on Israel.”

      Your glee at the potential political benefit from seeing dying civilians on the TV screen is a bit ghoulish, Ken… yikes!😬

      1. Ken Reid Avatar
        Ken Reid

        No, it's the leftists/Greenies/Socialist Dems who "glee" at this because they use emotion to try to make policy since so many are knee-jerk reactive and forget that Israel is defending itself against vicious terrorists who don't care about civilian casualties. Sinwar, the Hamas leader hiding in a 5 star hotel in Qatar, called these "necessary sacrifices." BTW, the death numbers the media throw around about Gaza are totally inflated.

        1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
          Eric the half a troll

          I don’t think the “leftists/Greenies/Socialist Dems” are happy at all about what is happening in Gaza. They simply want the slaughter to end. That you see the slaughter as a political lever is telling.

          1. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            Agree and once Hamas is dealt with, help find a path for the remaining 2 million Palestinian men/women/children to some kind of self-governance that preempts a Hamas re-start.

          2. Ken Reid Avatar
            Ken Reid

            Wishful thinking. As long as the palestinian Arabs have UN refugee status, and get a form of "public assistance" that keeps them in a perpetual state of dependence (5.3 million total), there just will always be extremist groups that prey on a portion of the population to become jihadis and try to make "Palestine free from the river to the sea." Israel's neighboring arab nations want no part of it, so American presidents going back to Nixon have stepped in to try to "make peace" and it doesn't always work.

          3. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            So, by them not having self-determination, (and perhaps being permanently occupied), will Hamas really be removed?

            what is the future for them?

  6. f/k/a_tmtfairfax Avatar
    f/k/a_tmtfairfax

    I'm a proud Double Hater and for good reasons. One way or another, I'm voting for RFJ, Jr.

    1. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      You have no enemies on the Right nor on the Left. Yours are behind you.

      1. f/k/a_tmtfairfax Avatar
        f/k/a_tmtfairfax

        Not my ideal candidate, but Kennedy's redeeming virtue is that he is not Trump or Biden. I wouldn't vote for Trump or Biden if either was my older brother. A proud Double Hater!

  7. Marty Chapman Avatar
    Marty Chapman

    Our Democrat friends have been nurturing this viper in their bosom for several decades now. Shocked, shocked!! I am that they are feeling the bite!

Leave a Reply