@RomeovilleKid In 1,000 years, there will be exactly 0 biological women playing in the NBA. If enough men transitioned, the WNBA would be made up of all biological men in 20 minutes. Same for most sports. That’s why it shouldn’t happen once.
If anyone thinks I take any joy in Graham Plattner's political downfall, they've completely misunderstood this moment.
What disgusts me is not the collapse of one unworthy, discredited candidate. It is the spectacular failure of Democratic leadership. For months, Democratic leaders ignored mounting public controversies and the growing alarm of many Americans. Rather than stopping to ask whether this was the right person to represent their party in the United States Senate, they closed ranks. Defeating Republicans became the overriding objective, while judgment, character, and accountability took a back seat. Only when the political fallout became impossible to ignore and his campaign was clearly unraveling did they all finally decide that enough was enough. Political courage? Hardly. Political calculation, plain and simple.
That raises a far more important question: Where was the moral line before then? How did my own Senator, @SenSchumer and so many other Democratic leaders convince themselves that warning signs and the concerns of their own constituents could simply be brushed aside? My G-d the man had a Nazi tattoo seared onto his chest. Where did we lose you Chuck? At what point does winning become more important than exercising the sound judgment we elected you for?
Leadership is measured not by how long you stand with someone, but by knowing when to stand apart. It requires the courage to tell your own party, "Enough," before political reality forces your hand. In my view, too many Democratic leaders failed that test. They ignored the concerns of many of the people they represent and acted only when the political cost became too great to bear.
If I sound disgusted, it's because I am and I'm not alone. Every public official eventually reaches a moment when they must decide what principles are not for sale. This was that moment, and too many Democratic leaders failed. They can blame @BernieSanders for leading them down this road to political purgatory.
There are, however, two important exceptions. While much of their party fell in line, @RitchieTorres and @SenFettermanPA refused to do so. They demonstrated the kind of independent judgment and political courage that leadership demands. They were willing to stand apart from their own party rather than compromise what they believed was right. Whether you agree with them on every issue is beside the point. On this, they were right. They put conscience ahead of politics, and they deserve credit for it. In an era when too many politicians simply follow the crowd, Ritchie Torres and John Fetterman showed what real leadership looks like. Their party would be wise to listen to them not only on this issue, but on other issues of consequence as well.
@KatKanada_TM It’s amazing that someone who was supposedly a racist got so many prayers from democrat politicians. How will their supporters reconcile that fact? Maybe CK got those prayers because they know he wasn’t a racist.