In years past, the mention of the word socialism would conjure up feelings of contempt in many red-blooded Americans. Unimaginably, this time has passed for some Democrats. Rather than viewing socialism as derisive, liberals see it as some type of utopia that will set everything on an equal playing field and save the country.
This startling reality was on full display in San Francisco on June 1, 2019 when Democratic presidential candidate John Hickenlooper, former Governor of Colorado, denounced socialism and was rewarded with loud, prolonged boos.
Hickenlooper was speaking at the California Democratic Party convention when he made the comments, according to TheBlaze. The former Colorado Governor told the audience that if Democrats desire to defeat President Donald Trump in 2020, they will need to embrace traditional Democratic values rather than socialism.
The 2020 Democratic presidential candidate stated, “If we want to beat Donald Trump and achieve big progressive goals, socialism is not the answer.”
According to left-leaning CNN, before Hickenlooper could complete his next thought, “a chorus of boos along with a sea of waving ‘Bernie’ signs overtook his speech, lasting for more than 30 seconds.”
Not one to be deterred, CNN reported that the former Colorado Governor attempted a smile and eventually broke from his comments to say, “You know, if we’re not careful, we’re going to end up helping to re-elect the worst president in history.”
Hickenlooper was one of 15 Democratic presidential contenders to speak to the San Francisco crowd of more than 4,500 observers and delegates last weekend. The California city is known to be a bastion of some of the most liberal Democrats in the country. According to CNN, “The moment seemed to pass until Hickenlooper started to speak about ‘pragmatism.’” Hickenlooper remarked, “We shouldn’t try to achieve universal coverage by removing private insurance from over 150 million Americans. We should not try to tackle climate change by guaranteeing every American a government job.”
Greeted again with escalating boos, the former Colorado Governor commented, “Hold on, hold on. I want to give Americans a reason to look forward tomorrow. As president, I will make healthcare a right, not a privilege with a real public option.” CNN reported that “At the end of his seven minutes, ‘Good Life’ by the band OneRepublic played Hickenlooper off as Sanders supporters once again held up their ‘Bernie’ signs and waved him goodbye.”
In the insanely crowded 2020 Democratic field, CNN reported that Hickenlooper currently sits at around a meager one percent in the polls. After the former Colorado Governor exited the stage at the California Democratic Party convention, fellow 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Washington Governor Jay Inslee took his place. Inslee immediately said, “I am a governor who doesn’t think we should be ashamed of our progressive values.” Unlike Hickenlooper, the Washington Governor received “roaring applause.”
After making his comments regarding socialism, Hickenlooper told CNN, “We had no illusions that everyone was going to embrace the message. We thought it was important to say, right? Not everyone in the party is going to rally to that perception but I feel that it needed to be said.” The 2020 Democratic presidential contender also told The Hill that the GOP will utilize his Party’s love affair with socialism to portray all Democrats as being extreme.
Hickenlooper remarked, “If we don’t draw a clear distinction between Democrats and our candidates and socialism, the Republicans will paint us into a corner that we can’t get out of. Massive government expansions may not be strictly speaking socialism, but trust me Republicans will make it seem like socialism.”
The former Colorado Governor added, “In places like Ohio and Michigan and North Carolina and Wisconsin, places we have to win to beat Trump, we’ll be starting out ten yards behind. We need to be laser-focused on winning this election, and that’s going to mean focusing on kitchen table programs that will actually improve people’s quality of life.”
Radical leftists like freshman U.S. Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib might still make up the minority in the Democratic Party. However, at the moment, they seem to have the largest microphone. This may be the reason why a more moderate Democrat like Hickenlooper is struggling for oxygen in this crowded field. It could also explain why the leader of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary pack, Joe Biden, Delaware, has just unveiled an extremist plan to combat climate change.
And, it’s precisely why conservatives need to do everything in their power to prevent Ocasio-Cortez’s socialist Democratic Party from claiming the White House in 2020.
~ Patriotic Freedom Fighter
