I’m not sure when it happened but this much is true: The Democrats are now the adults in the room.
It pains me to say that because I’ve always considered liberal Democrats to be the cool kids.
No more. We’ve become the pinch-faced parsimonious fiscal conservatives. While those rowdy kids, the Republicans, want to throw tax dollars to wild-eyed crazy causes –think billions for The Wall of Stupidity–the Democrats are like “Whoa. Let’s talk about this.” When the Radical Right Republicans say: “If we don’t get our way we’ll shut down the government” the Dems say: “That could hurt a lot of innocent folks so let’s not be hasty.”
The other day I found myself nodding in agreement with an opinion column written by George Will. Yes, the same George Will I would’ve sworn it would take a team of Clydesdales to pull a toothpick outta his butt mere months ago, has morphed into your cousin who only wears Phish tees and jelly sandals.
Yes, it’s us, the liberal Democrats (and George Will) who find ourselves trying to discuss the need for balanced budgets and restraint in tampering with our beloved Constitution.
The best example of this can be found in the Georgia gubernatorial race where Republican Brian Kemp is acting like a big ol’ baby compared to measured Democratic opponent Stacey Abrams.
Kemp recently boomed at a rally that Abrams is “backed my billionaires and socialists that want to make Georgia into California.” He added, “The march to socialism will not come through the state of Georgia.”
Abrams dismissed this idiotic and wholly unfounded rhetoric by being, yes, the adult in the room.
In the same manner a good parent knows a calm demeanor can deflect a toddler’s meltdown, Abrams didn’t acknowledge Kemp’s childish button-pushin’ and red meat throwin’. (And, to digress, what does he have against California? Is it the lovely scenery, the clean energy initiatives, the commitment to a fair minimum wage, the fact that a Dem governor inherited a $27 billion deficit from a Republican and is leaving office with a 13.8 billion cash reserve? Yeah. So much to hate.)
Kemp continued his hysterics on Twitter, where he parroted Trump and called Abrams an “open border, crime-loving candidate.” The notion that Democrats love violent gangs and rampant crime would be funny if not for the polls that indicate this moronic dog whistling works with the “base.” I can practically hear Abrams’ weary sigh from where I sit two states away.
But the grownup responded by ignoring Kemp’s childish tantrum and plunging into a thoughtful plan for prosperity and responsible growth for the state she loves.
While Kemp held his breath and turned blue, she kept talking about unemployment in rural Georgia and the potentially damaging effect of tariffs on rural farmers and dockworkers in Savannah.
Republicans used to be the quiet ones. Now they weep and wail and have the emotional rawness of an 8th grade slumber party. And, yeah, I’m not cool with it.