Opinion: Why aren’t Trump and Republicans pilloried for failing to 'reach out'?
South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg speaks during a Fox News Channel town hall. By Paul Waldman Paul Waldman Opinion writer covering politics Email Bio Follow Opinion writer May 21 at 12:42 PM The presidential campaign has begun, which means that Democrats are being asked again and again why they aren’t doing more to “reach out” to Republicans.
But consider this: When was the last time you heard some chin-scratching pundit say that President Trump will never be able to reach liberals if he doesn’t go on MSNBC? But what mainstream journalists and commentators almost never do is suggest that Republicans have a moral obligation to reach out to liberals, to assure them that the party understands them, cares about them and wants what’s best for them.
But if you’re going to take that perfectly reasonable position, you have to apply it to both parties. If Democrats have an obligation to “reach out” to Republicans not just because it might be advantageous in the election but because it’s the right thing to do, then surely Republicans have the same obligation.
Democrats respond to those demands all the time, and when they do, their performance is carefully critiqued. Did it show enough “respect” for conservatives and their values? Did it display sufficient familiarity with conservative cultural markers? Was it “authentic”?
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