Reps. Ro Khanna and Jamie Raskin say that Democrats must stand up for democracy and take back patriotism from Republicans.
In an interview with NPR, Khanna and Raskin made some key points:
“I love to call myself a conservative, too, because I want to conserve the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. the land, the air, the water, the climate system, the Voting Rights Act, the Civil Rights Act, the National Labor Relations Act, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid,” Raskin said. “Everything that our friends across the aisle seem to want to be tearing down is everything that we want to conserve.”
Khanna said Trump has been able to to capture patriotic rhetoric, but he and Raskin argue that Democrats need to take that talking point back from Republicans.
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Republicans have warped patriotism into a cover story for their anti-democracy authoritarian agenda. Behind the Republican culture war is a movement to take freedom and rights away from people. Florida’s don’t say gay legislation is an attack on gay people. The wave of anti-choice legislation is an attack on a woman’s right to control her own healthcare.
The policy aspects of the culture war rhetoric are unpatriotic and un-American. Republicans have to dress up their agenda in inflammatory, culturally divisive language because the policies are unpopular.
Democrats should be running as the only political party defending democracy and freedom for all. Democrats need not be afraid to wave the flag that they are working hard to protect, and it is good to hear members of Congress take back the language of patriotism.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
