Tulsi Gabbard Is the Democratic Party's Worst Nightmare
Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard’s quixotic and caustic campaign has been the only interesting development to emerge in the Democratic Party presidential race, other than its race-to-the-bottom insanity.
The Hawaiian representative has provided a refreshing alternative to the Russophobic narrative parroted by the other candidates, offering a dovish foreign policy that would have been considered mainstream in the party before Drone-King Obama took power.
Gabbard’s recent catfight with Hillary Clinton has made her an unlikely darling to many on the right. Clinton called Gabbard, although not specifically by name, a Russian asset being groomed by the Kremlin during a recent appearance on former Obama senior advisor David Plouffe’s podcast.
“I’m not making any predictions, but I think they’ve got their eye on somebody who is currently in the Democratic primary and are grooming her to be the third-party candidate,” Clinton said, apparently referring to Gabbard.
“She’s the favorite of the Russians,” Clinton added. “They have a bunch of sites and bots and other ways of supporting her so far.”
Gabbard — a lower-tier presidential candidate who adroitly harnesses controversy to her advantage — immediately seized on Clinton’s unfounded, absurd accusation with a blistering response to the failed presidential candidate.
“Hillary Clinton, your foreign policy has been a disaster for our country and the world,” Gabbard said in a video address to the former secretary of state last week. “It’s resulted in the deaths and injuries of so many of my brothers and sisters in uniform. It’s devastated entire countries, millions of lives lost, refugee crisis, our enemy al-Qaida and ISIS strengthened.”
Gabbard scolded Clinton: “It’s time to acknowledge the damage that you have caused, and it is long past time for you to step down from your throne so that the Democratic Party can lead with a new foreign policy which will actually be in the interest of and benefit to the American people and the world.”
Gabbard has emerged as a maverick who neither reveres nor respects her party’s kingmakers. She threw away her position of power and privilege as a Democrat National Committee vice chair in 2016 to protest the mistreatment of Sen. Bernie Sanders (Independent -Vermont). This transformed her from a potential standard-bearer into an instant pariah in the eyes of the Democratic establishment.
Also, her mere presence in the presidential debates has wounded at least one top rival. Her July 31 row with California Sen. Kamala Harris in the second Democratic Party face off showed the value of her audacious approach.
“She put over 1,500 people in jail for marijuana violations and laughed about it when she was asked if she ever smoked marijuana,” Gabbard said of Harris.
Gabbard added: “She blocked evidence that would have freed an innocent man from death row. She kept people in prison beyond their sentences to use them as cheap labor for the state of California, and she fought to keep a cash bail system in place that impacts poor people in the worst kind of way.”
This relentless woman is punching above her weight class, regardless of the repercussions. She annihilated Harris, who dropped like an anvil in the polls after Gabbard’s biting critique of her criminal-justice hypocrisy. Gabbard is taking on Clinton despite the fact that most Democrats consider her a trailblazer for women’s rights who would be in the Oval Office if not for “Donald Trump’s best friend,” Vladimir Putin.
Gabbard may destroy Biden or Pocahontas next. By the time the Hawaiian is finished, perhaps Bernie Sanders — the old man with a bum ticker who already has eased his campaigning — will be the last man standing. If Sanders’ health falters, even a clown-like Pete Buttigieg or Andrew Yang could sneak in.
Even hawkish Republicans who believe Gabbard’s January 2017 meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was abhorrent should appreciate her actions within her party. Very serious liberal commentators slander her as a Russian asset, despite her status as a U.S. Army war veteran who risked her life in Iraq. Such baseless paranoia makes the left’s accusations against President Trump look incredulous and bolsters his argument that Russiagate is a witch hunt.
For some, the “Russian agent” smear proved effective against an inflammatory orator like Trump. But it fell flat when Hillary deployed it against a measured and tactful advocate like Gabbard, who wants to steer GIs away from danger in the Middle East.
The substance behind Gabbard’s attacks on her Democratic rivals is particularly refreshing. She engages on the issues, remains articulate and fastidious under pressure, and keeps calm and mature during tense confrontations.
Gabbard seems like a leader who would remain dignified in the Oval Office, and focus on solving problems instead of launching partisan attacks. Her policy proposals are socialist and would be bad for the country on many levels, but she most likely will not be president any time soon, if ever. Due to her serious demeanor, she still would be much a better alternative at the helm of the Democratic Party than any member of the far-left “squad.”
Some Republicans are nervous about cheering on Gabbard, for fearing that they unwittingly may enable a socialist uprising, they should quell their fears. Supporting her as a spoiler candidate is a low-risk, high-reward proposition. The iconoclastic contender already has developed abundant bad blood among Democratic elites, and she has no qualms about functioning as a whistleblower against her own party’s corrupt establishment.
If Gabbard becomes sufficiently disaffected to run as a third-party presidential candidate, she single-handedly could ensure Trump’s second term — a real possibility, if she gains momentum. Gabbard is no asset for the Russians, but she’s certainly become quite the asset to the MAGA movement.
The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website. If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal, you can learn about our submission guidelines and process here.
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