A few days ago the House Democrats chose an “election denier” to be their next Minority Leader when the new term starts next month with Republicans in the majority.
Why did I call Jeffries an “election denier”? Well, those aren’t my words, but it’s become the go-to term Democrats to use to describe any Republican who has ever cast doubt upon election results (Trump’s questions about the 2020 election being the highest profile example). Clearly the incoming Democrat House Minority Leader falls into the “election denier” category:
THREAD: Here are 8 times Hakeem Jeffries — the Democrats' new House leader — denied election results.
1. Jeffries said "the more we learn about 2016 election the more ILLEGITIMATE it becomes." pic.twitter.com/cjMYeKIsCs
— Kyle Martinsen 🐊 (@KyleMartinsen_) November 30, 2022
2. Jeffries claimed Russia “artificially” made Trump president. pic.twitter.com/atKthob0Oz
— Kyle Martinsen 🐊 (@KyleMartinsen_) November 30, 2022
3. Jeffries claimed multiple congressional seats were “stolen by rogue Republican operatives.” pic.twitter.com/eRF5CoICe0
— Kyle Martinsen 🐊 (@KyleMartinsen_) November 30, 2022
BREAKING: Election Denier Hakeem Jeffries was just elected as the new leader of the House Democrats. pic.twitter.com/skZqcnXiG7
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 30, 2022
You get the point. That’s a whole lot of “election denial” right there. However, being a Democrat means having the lefty media on your side to help spin your way out of any inconvenient hypocrisy.
In this example, Time Magazine has defended Jeffries against Republicans who refer to him as an “election denier”:
Time Magazine says Democrats can’t be election deniers. This is real: pic.twitter.com/MdTHQ3HyeJ
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) December 2, 2022
Yep, it is indeed real:
Top Republicans are attacking incoming Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries as an "election denier."
Here's why that label is misleading https://t.co/Sv3l7NoW7O
— TIME (@TIME) December 2, 2022
Apparently calling Jeffries an “election denier” is misleading, or so we’re to believe:
The term “election denier” has taken on a particular meaning, however, after Trump’s failed re-election campaign. The phrase has come to be associated with Republicans who claim the 2020 election was stolen from Trump, assert without evidence there was fraud in 2020 voting, and cast doubt on secure voting systems—claims that lead to the deadly January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Calling Jeffries an “election denier’ is misleading and conflates different issues. “Casting unfounded doubt on the outcome of an election is irresponsible when either party does it,” says Rachel Orey, associate director of the Elections Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a nonpartisan Washington think tank. “But I think it’s important to remember that the culture around elections was quite different before 2020.”
Basically that spin boils down to a usual theme:
Summary of the piece: “It’d (D)ifferent when we do it”.https://t.co/OBtjHVnsqr
— Patrick (@ArgentineTea) December 3, 2022
You’re literally arguing that it’s just different when Democrats do it.
— Will, supporter of those things you don’t like (@spudhawg) December 2, 2022
Yeah, we’ve all seen that before… almost every day as a matter of fact.
Oh it’s always different when they do it
Look 👀 no further than stacy abrams for their total hypocrisy
— Phillip Jacobs (@pajacobs) December 2, 2022
Jeffries said “there is clearly a cloud of illegitimacy hanging over 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue that’s growing bigger by the day.” https://t.co/hbg5izPyHz
— Shelley (@GizmosReviews) December 3, 2022
https://twitter.com/bobjeffers559/status/1599076742139768832
Hillary Clinton and Stacey Abrams claiming their respective elections (2016 presidential and 2018 Georgia gubernatorial) were stolen from them and Jeffries making similar claims aren’t “election denial” because their names aren’t Trump is as “journalism” as it gets.
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Related:
‘See if you can spot the difference’: Compare & contrast TIME Magazine’s Biden vs. Trump covers