Democrats made themselves toxic — now they’re addicted to their own poison

A few Democratic officeholders, activists and pundits are finally coming to their senses that their brand is toxic to a majority of the American people. The Biden administration killed what

was left of it in a number of ways. First, it serially lied to Americans about the cognitive decline and cancerous condition of President Joe Biden, both while in and after office. Only when

caught did the complicit media ‘fess up that the Biden inner circle serially misled the American people about Biden’s inability to fulfill the duties of the presidency. Second, left-wing

politicos used Biden as a waxen effigy. His job was to pose as a “moderate” cover to push through the most radical and unpopular agenda in the last half-century. EXPLORE MORE Only that way

could “Old Joe Biden from Scranton” and his backroom handlers ram down the throat of the American people unpopular policies that nearly wrecked the country. Third, without either a

functional president or viable initiatives, the new hard-left Democrats sought to brand Donald Trump as “Hitler” and half the country who supported him as “fascists.” For nearly nine years,

the Democrats launched one failed hoax after another on the American people: “Russian collusion,” “laptop disinformation,” and the lying so-called “51 intelligence authorities.” They proved

quite willing to undermine the rule of law by manipulating the court system in efforts to destroy their bogeyman, Trump. The people are finally tired of all the potty-mouthed Democrat

videos, the congressional stunts and meltdowns, the pampered rich kids rioting on elite campuses, the knee-jerk obsessions with racial slurs, the firebombing of Tesla dealerships, the

romanticization of left-wing political murderers — and always the adolescent tantrums over Trump. The Democrats had mostly given up on democracy some 13 years ago. That was the last time

they transparently and democratically nominated Barack Obama a second time as their presidential candidate. Ever since, their nominations have been rigged. In 2020, party insiders —

terrified of the left-wing crazy primary field — forced out all the leading contenders. Then they coronated the debilitated but still supposedly useful moderate Biden as their COVID-era

candidate. Biden bragged that he would pick his vice president on the basis of race and gender. What followed was the most bizarre campaign in history. Biden stayed put in his basement and

outsourced his candidacy to the partisan media. Next, in 2024, they forced the now no longer useful Biden off the ticket, nullifying his 14 million primary voters. Then, without a vote, they

rammed in inept Vice President Kamala Harris as the nominee. As a failed candidate in 2020, she had never won a single delegate. Some in the party now concede it must roust out its

radicals. But Democrats will not. AOC and her Squad, the unhinged Jasmine Crockets of the party, and the ossified socialist Bernie Bros would demonize any Democrat who offered a sane reboot.

A few fossils in the party may think they know how to save it. But they are terrified that the medicine would be considered far worse than the illness that prompted it. Would Democrats

consider embracing measured and legal-only immigration? No — the crazy base would scream “xenophobe!” A return to meritocracy and the Martin Luther King notion of race as incidental, not

essential, to who we are? That would be called “racist.” Maybe reforms to fix failed schools with vouchers, school choice and charter schools? Again, “racist!” How about developing gas and

oil reserves and nuclear power to lower energy costs for the struggling middle class? That would be condemned as “destroying the planet.” Restore police forces, end critical race and legal

theory, and deter criminals with tough sentencing? How about ceasing the whiny fixations with “white privilege” and “white rage?” Or quit seeing a “white supremacist” under every bed? Again

and again, “racist!” The left created DEI — the use of race to adjudicate every political issue. And like any addictive, toxic drug, they now can neither survive with DEI — nor without it.

_Victor Davis Hanson is a distinguished fellow of the Center for American Greatness._