Maine Democratic Party’s gotcha politics highlight leftwing hypocrisy over presidential selection

It’s fairly clear at this point that Donald Trump will be the Republican presidential nominee, barring a significant breakthrough at the Republican National Convention. As that time draws closer, Republicans hoping that Trump would soften the rhetoric and prepare for the general election campaign have been let down. With racial attacks on judges and slamming the media, Trump is still hardcore.

Up in New England, the Democratic strategy is gotcha politics. From the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to the Maine Democratic Party, the party elite has been hoping to trip up Republicans on the Trump issue.

It’s clever and it’s slimy.

There comes a point in every presidential primary where it becomes apparent who the winner is and at that point, it’s considered a great crime within a party to oppose your own nominee. It’s always been given you throw your support behind the nominee.

Not so much this year however, where Donald Trump has changed the rules. This year, the party elite and establishment doesn’t frown upon not backing the nominee. So if Republican lawmakers wanted to not back the nominee, they wouldn’t necessarily be on the elite’s naughty list.
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At the same time, Trump does have a devoted following. It isn’t the party mainstream, but it does represent a strong segment of the party which is often louder. Also, reality is Trump has gotten the most votes. The party base has spoken.

Does one stand with the Republican voters and support Trump, or does one stand with what is the perceived right thing to do and oppose Trump? This is the predicament Democrats know they have people like Congressman Bruce Poliquin in. It’s not really a scenario one can win.

Politics is a dirty game and Democrats play it as well as anyone else. This is why the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has dispatched their paid out-of-state trolls to stalk Congressman Poliquin on social media, sending memes, quotes, and videos to his official accounts asking if he will break his silence on Trump.

In his defense, Congressman Poliquin seems more focused on issues facing Mainers and not a presidential election that realistically many voters don’t bother with. There are real issues facing Mainers. Is Trump’s border wall proposal going to stop more Mainers from getting employed? Is Trump’s Muslim ban suggestion going to prevent Mainers from putting food on the table? Are Trump’s attacks on a federal judge going to hurt Mainers struggling to make ends meet?

The answer is “No.”

But in the end, Democrats don’t care. Whether it be DCCC Northeast Press Secretary Bryan Lesswing or Maine Democratic Party chairman Phil Bartlett, their concerns aren’t with everyday Mainers who just want to live their lives. They are with gotcha politics.
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The party is so desperately out-of-touch, it explains why the Democratic Party is preparing to nominate a failed former Secretary of State who is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Hillary Clinton is a morally bankrupt politician who, among other things, took donations from oppressive foreign regimes while Secretary of the State.

Of these regimes that Clinton accepted donations from was Saudi Arabia, which notably prosecutes people for being gay and treats women like inferiors. There is no equality. And Clinton doesn’t see a problem with a country that has executed homosexuals for engaging in homosexual acts?

You won’t hear any outcry from a single Democratic leader, whether it be some out-of-state political hitman or someone running the show here in Maine. Saudi Arabia can kill all the gay people for just being gay they want, so long as Congressman Bruce Poliquin gets cornered in simple gotcha politics.

Chris Dixon is a liberty activist and writer from Maine. In addition to being Managing Editor for the Liberty Conservative, he also writes the Bangor Daily News blog "Undercover Porcupine" and for sports website Cleatgeeks.

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