Some candidates are saying things the party would never utter in a million years — whether their policies will follow is another question

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/47417775

[May 14, 2026 [good article that outlines various (dishonest) approaches by centrist Democratic politicians to Democratic voters’ antipathy to Israel.]

Wendy Sherman, who served as deputy secretary of State under the Biden administration, made headlines in late April when she told Bloomberg that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had “led” the United States down the road to “genocide” in Gaza.

In the next sentence, however, Sherman said that she remained a “strong supporter” of Israel. It marked one of the most blatant examples of a rhetorical strategy widely emerging among Democratic politicians since October 7: using language that validates progressive criticism of Israel — including, now, the word “genocide” — while simultaneously insulating themselves from the charge that they have abandoned Israel.

  • ClassStruggle@lemmy.mlEnglish
    3·
    23 hours ago

    Any change in rhetoric from Democrats right now is election year posturing that will go back to normal afterwards.

  • KelvarCherry [They/Them]@piefed.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    6·
    1 day ago

    So Israel “led” the USA “down the road” to genocide in Gaza; but it’s not Israel’s fault because they merely led the USA to do it; and its not the USA’s fault because Israel tricked us… Am I getting that right?

    Calling Israel’s actions a genocide but sending them free weapons regardless is as impactful as saying “homeless people are struggling” and then rounding them up and imprisoning them… the latter of which Gavin Newsom has done :P

  • panthera_@lemmy.today
    113·
    2 days ago

    It’s unnecessary to use words such as genocide or ethnic cleansing since this only causes debate on whether it’s actually happening. Democrats should simply decry Israel’s action in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon.