January 1, Democrats Back Controversial Leaders, GOP Voters Push Back

Wyatt’s Take

• Democrats keep supporting questionable candidates with little concern for public outrage.
• Republican voters step up and reject those with serious baggage.
• Liberal leaders blame Trump, but facts tell another story.

This week’s elections highlight how Democrats defend their own, even those wrapped up in scandal or disturbing behavior. Meanwhile, Republican voters have shown they will turn their backs on candidates who cross the line.

Liberals are celebrating their victories, but there’s real worry about radicals taking hold of their party. In New York, a mayor was elected who pushes dangerous ideas like defunding the police. In Virginia, Attorney General-elect Jay Jones won despite sending awful messages wishing death on his rival’s kids and allegedly lying about his community service.

No national Democrat asked Jones to step aside, and big names kept backing him. Voters in Northern Virginia—one of the most politically aware places—chose Jones over a moderate, scandal-free Republican. It’s hard to believe they didn’t know his record. Many seem to look past the hate to protect their jobs tied to big government contracts.

So who’s to blame? Political insiders point at Trump. Tré Easton from the Searchlight Institute said,

“I don’t think VA Dems should seek Jay Jones’s resignation. Voters were fully aware of the facts and elected him… I DO think, that thanks to Trump, the bar for disqualifying behavior is now in hell.”

But this excuse doesn’t hold up. Democrats all over the country say and do wild things and get rewarded. The new mayor in Idaho called Christian conservatives “mindless, cult-member morons” and much worse—hardly winning hearts or minds.

Searchlight Institute claims it wants Democrats to welcome more folks in, but local leaders still push division. If they want to grow, they need to distance themselves from this extremism, not blame others for it.

Fact is, Trump didn’t drive Republicans to support violence or hate. When North Carolina’s Mark Robinson ran for governor after some ugly online remarks surfaced, many conservative voters turned away from him. He lost in a state Trump won. In Alabama, when Roy Moore faced allegations involving teenagers, even Trump’s endorsement couldn’t help him—Republican Alabama sent a Democrat to the Senate instead.

Middle America values character and wants leaders who talk straight and act decent, regardless of party. It’s time people start holding their own side to that standard.

Wyatt Matters

Americans in the heartland know integrity matters more than party. They expect leaders to respect families and put country ahead of partisanship. The rest of the country should take a page from their book.

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