Typical Liberal Responses

They are Simply Incapable of Talking About Trump without Invoking Stalin and Hitler; That's The Problem

So on Friday, I criticized Bill Maher for attending the White House. Granted, it wasn’t because of me making some big political statement. As a country, there is only one President at a time and it is always considered an honor to be invited to go to the White House, whether it’s current occupant is Donald Trump or a man of more like mind to whatever one believes. No, my criticism was that Trump had sued Maher for $5 million over a joke when Trump was knee deep in birtherism that Maher took that logic and said Trump should have to prove he was not the son of an orangutan. I don’t care who you are, someone sues me for $5 million, I’m not going to your house for supper now or 15 years from now.

But go he did and on Friday night, Maher provided a summary of how the night went. And in doing so and describing the evening, he demonstrated how America should be; able to talk with people with whom you disagree, but still be civil, magnanimous, gracious and humorous. By the sound of it, he had a good time. You can hear his commentary on it here:

I was so impressed with what he said, and saw that it aligned with my worldview and thoughts so much, that I sent out a Bonus newsletter on Saturday morning describing it. This is what PurpleAmerica is all about. Maher didn’t suddenly change his political views or principles and has now turned MAGA. Trump didn’t change his views one bit either. But as Rodney King once said, “Can’t we all just get along?”¹

And Maher going there wasn’t “normalizing” or “platforming” anything. Trump is the President of the United States, and whether some want to admit it or not, what he says and does is already “normalized” into the mainstream culture. Now, I don’t agree with 99% of the things Trump says or does, and I’m glad to discuss policy issues and differences I have with Trump all day, and I do all the time. Basically, building him up to be on the level to be either Stalin, or Hitler or the Devil himself actually does absolutely nothing because 1) anything you say after that will be completely ignored because you’ve demonstrated hyperbole to the nth degree, 2) you’re the one who seems like the ranting, raving lunatic and 3) it actually makes him look stronger rather than as the weak, puny human being he really is. If you don’t believe me, I heard the same comments routinely leveled at George W. Bush and Dick Cheney in the 2000s, and it wasn’t effective then either.

But Christ, the liberals on Substack went absolutely ape-shit (orangutan-shit) over the whole thing. Here is but a sampling of the comments I received within hours after posting.

Don’t even get me going on the fever swamps of Reddit:

Now, all of these responses are very typical liberal responses. Invocation of Stalin, Mussolini, Castro, 1930’s Germany, check (even Charles Manson?!). Not being able to separate policy from the person, check. Deflection, check. Condescension, check. I read these, and all I see are moderates and the swing voters shaking their heads saying, “I want no part of them—that’s the reason I don’t vote for Democrats.”

And as if to underscore this, along with further demonstrating that it helps to read before commenting, I got this snooty little psychoanalysis from someone as well²:

Well Mr. G. Alex Janevski, PhD (is there anything so elitist than putting that in your name?) I would suggest you watch that video one more time. Maher was personable, complimentary, humorous and casual. He was also principled, pointed out areas of disagreement (including that orangutan lawsuit) and addressed serious issues with the President. All you did above was condescend, offer a snobbish and disdainfully cynical critique and demonstrated nothing other than you think you’re smarter than the person to whom you’re commenting (which would be me). To an objective swing voter who would watch that video and then watch Maher repeat your words verbatim, which of the two do you think they would find more persuasive? Which do you think they’re willing to listen to more? In two paragraphs, you gave the perfect example as to why Democrats are losing most of America and their numbers are in the toilet.

And that brings me to the main point I’m trying to get across. Most of America agrees with LIBERALS when it comes to policies and Trump himself. Most Americans don’t like Trump at all. What he’s doing?—they think it’s incompetent and unprincipled, and that this administration has no idea which way is up. They think he’s corrupt (newsflash, he is). Politically speaking, this should be the easiest layup ever, and should be something that Democrats Dunk and Showboat on. But they can’t. BECAUSE AMERICA HATES THEM AS MUCH IF NOT MORE, and the responses above demonstrate why. Democrats are simply incapable of just moving on from something of which they disagree. They have to comment and criticize and condemn in the harshest and strongest possible terms every little microaggression and failure to conform with their own orthodox worldview. There is simply no room for disagreement in the slightest. They have to shout down anyone who may have an actual point that isn’t progressive enough, because to do so would be to platform or validate, what, Nazism? (Huh?). It’s not the “WHAT” with which most of America disagrees with liberals, it’s the “HOW,” as in “How you treat others.”

Yes, I worry where the country is going. I’m petrified of a lot of shit Trump is doing too. But can we please stop comparing a comedian, a UFC promoter and whatever the hell Kid Rock is these days going to the White House with the G20 summit or the Yalta Conference? Is it possible for a liberal to voice an opinion about Trump without invoking Hitler or Stalin? Can liberals actually try and talk to people who maybe didn’t go to college without talking DOWN to them? Can liberals just stop being so damn cynical 24/7 and instead think positively, inspirationally on a level people without Master’s degrees can appreciate?

Because right now, from my view, they can’t. And that’s a big problem when you consider that was the reason they largely lost in 2024.

PurpleAmerica’s Obscure Fact of the Day

The root words for “politics” and “polite” are the same; from Latin for “polished, or made smooth.”

PurpleAmerica’s Final Word on the Subject

“There’s gotta be something better than hurling insults from 3,000 miles away.”

“There’s gotta be a better way of running this country than hating each other every minute.”

“We agreed, the people who don’t want us to talk, we don’t like YOU. Don’t talk? As opposed to what? Writing the same editorial for the millionth time and making 25 hour speeches into the wind?”

Bill Maher in the video. Seriously, if you didn’t watch the video, and you can’t grasp those statements, don’t comment on my Substack page. In fact, why would you even come to it?

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Footnotes and Fun Stuff

1. People forget how profound King saying that at the time was. He had been seen on video getting the living shit kicked out of him by four Los Angeles police officers. They had just been acquitted of beating him, and the city erupted into a full blown riot that lasted days, burned whole areas of the city down, mass looting, and several civilian beatings and deaths occurred. That the person who was the subject of the beating, could take a step back to tell everyone to calm down, to say that this widespread fit of violence isn’t the right path, that is his lasting legacy.

2. I commented on Friday about someone posting a 20 paragraph manifesto and how doing that convinces nobody.