Keri Smith
Jul 21, 2017 · 2 min read

“If the outcome of criticism of Hillary Clinton from the left is, instead of getting her to be more representative of her supporters’ wishes, to facilitate the ability of Donald Trump and the right (not quite the same thing) to take the reins of federal institutions and try to push through measures that are even worse than what Clinton would have tried to do, and this eventuality could be anticipated, then criticism of Clinton from the left was wrong. Not wrong in the sense of untrue or in need of policing, but wrong in the sense of not furthering the interests of those doing the criticising. That criticism of Clinton from the left was seized upon by people on the right, and used to further their agenda, which agenda (I hope) you oppose more than you oppose the progressive policy portfolio.”

I disagree. It’s your opinion that criticism of Clinton from the left was “wrong” because of what you perceive to be a negative outcome of the criticism: Trump getting elected. That’s not fact; it’s your opinion. And it includes many presuppositions that I don’t share. For one: I don’t know or believe that Trump won as a result of criticism from the left. Second: I don’t believe that leftists voicing criticisms of Clinton were ultimately “not furthering“ their own interests. Third: I don’t believe in censoring myself because my thoughts may be twisted by others. Fourth: I don’t believe people on the right needed people on the left to criticize Clinton. It’s ultimately Clinton‘s campaign that’s to blame for losing — not leftist critics, not 3rd party voters, not Republicans, not people who didn’t vote, not any kind of “-ism,” not Russia.

I see on the left a lack of introspection into WHY Trump won; that lack of introspection is in line with the lack of introspection that SJWism encourages. Unfortunately, without self-reflection and responsibility we are doomed to lose to Trump again in 2020. No amount of telling lefties not to be critical, no amount of blaming 3rd party voters or those who didn’t vote, no amount of blaming those who voted for Trump (especially those who flipped from Obama) will help us.

“Now look at your Medium posts and the comments they receive. Are most of the comments from SJWs saying, “gee, you make a good point, I shouldn’t put partisanship before sensibility or compassion or the greater good or whatever it is that we’re aiming for”, or are most of the comments from Deplorables who are looking for and finding, they think, confirmation of their fears and anxieties about Those People, and such confirmation really is extra pleasing because it comes from one of their own?”

I don’t believe people who voted for Trump are “Deplorables.” To my point above — writing people off as “deplorables” is not a way to win hearts and minds. In my opinion, it only pushes people further away.

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    Keri Smith

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    @ksemamajama Co-Host at https://unsafespace.com Founder of https://civilitydinners.com More about me: http://www.wearebird.co/keri-smith/