Why I criticize Democrats more

No, I'm not a Republican, but here is why I criticize Democrats disproportionately.

During the Biden administration I heaped a lot of criticism on the administration. Rightfully so, and without regret. While I was doing this I maintained the rationale that the reason was because the democrats had power.

After the democrats lost power, I was asked the same question. On further examination my old explanation had flaws.

The foundation of the question

Let me start off by saying this, I don’t need to defend the targeting of my criticism to be consistent. My positions are as follows,

• I didn’t vote for Trump, nor Biden.

• I never endorsed Trump, nor Biden

• I am not a Republican, nor a Democrat.

These positions have never for a moment changed. So, if true to these foundations, and I criticize the Democrats more, so what? I don’t owe it to the Democrats to criticize Trump more because they lost. But on the surface it seems reasonable to conclude that I should.

A revised justification

Without doubt you should punch up and criticize those with power. This is fundamental. However, it’s not that simple. The reason, on closer examination, is very apparent. To the extent that either party could be reformed to be acceptable, the only party that I participate in reforming to any degree is the Democrats.

I don’t particularly pride myself having endorsed Bernie Sanders in 2012 (yes, that’s right), 2016, and in 2020; but, I did. Anyone more willing to take the knee after knowingly getting screwed is unlikely to play a substantive role in reforming a political party. However, I found Bernie Sanders acceptable and a sufficient deviation from the Democrats at large to warrant support. I’ve never felt that way about a Republican. Over the years I’ve supported Mike Gravel, Dennis Kucinich, Bernie Sanders, “the squad”, and Al Green. All of them Democrats. I have an estate in the Democrats when they don’t have power. I want to support some of them, but that desire does not rise to the level of accepting the candidates they put forward, like Kamala, HRC, and Trump.

But I do participate. I vote in the Democratic primary, and likely always will.

When I see things the Democrats are doing which are setting up MAGA for a third term like,

• Voiding the election of David Hogg who barely a reformist at all.

• Nominating a chairman who extols the virtues of “good billionaires.”

• Allowing Hakeem Jeffries to continue the Pelosi legacy as House Minority Leader

• Allowing Chuck Schumer to push for an Iran war by trying to scuttle Trump’s “side deal” to negotiate a peace

There is no symmetry to these kinds of criticism for Republicans when they’re functioning as resistance. When the Democrats have power, and the Republicans are in resistance

• I don’t care who Republicans pick as a chairperson. I honestly have no idea who their chairperson was the past decade.

• I don’t care if they ban reformists from their party (as they tried to do when they tried to lock out MAGA in 2016.)

• I don’t care if they advocate war. In fact, I just assume they will generally do that as a party.

Conclusion

I criticise the Democrats more because I am invested in their ability to resist and produce an acceptable candidate. That’s different from being a Democrat or supporting them regardless of who they nominate. You should take from this the opposite of what you sought to conclude: the criticism is not because I want Democrats to lose. It’s because I want them to win. I want them to turn their back on war, austerity, and corporate money.