Learning from Democrats

By Ed Hoffman

What are people on the political left much better at doing than people on the ideological right? Sticking together, no matter what. The people with microphones in the Democrat party (and I’m talking about everyone from elected officials, to academics, to their unapologetic shills in the media) don’t tear each other down, even when they disagree. They always seem to have each other’s back – and that’s why we always hear how “united” the Democrat party is, followed by how “divided” the GOP is.

Case in point: Donald Trump. I’ve made no secret of the fact that I like the guy, because he’s not afraid to take a stand on what really matters. Take ISIS, for example. Unlike our current President, Trump actually has a plan to defeat them and it starts with cutting off their cash flow by choking their access to oil. But rather than laud Trump for his plain speaking and good ideas, we laugh at him – and why? Because he’s on TV? On the left, they love the idea of getting their candidates from TV. That’s why a Facebook page called “Jon Stewart for President” has more than 16,000 likes, and Democrats seem to think that kind of thing is great for their cause. They love entertainers getting involved in the political process.

Contrast that with Republicans, who fuss and fret over getting their candidates “just right” and have no problem telling Donald Trump to go away. Never mind his decades of international business and leadership experience, which our country desperately needs to boost the economy, strengthen diplomatic relationships and help America gain back the respect we’ve lost. But Republicans are quick to write Trump off as a joke, because they don’t stick together.

As for me, I’m taking a cue from Democrats. Here’s a personal anecdote of mine that sounds like juicy gossip, but it’s the truth and you might enjoy it. So here goes.

I recently had a guest on my local radio show who is well-known nationally; she’s frequently applauded by conservatives and maligned by liberals for her syndicated columns, bestselling books and TV appearances. She’s often called a provocateur, but I liked that about her – until last week. Maybe because this person is accustomed to being interviewed by people who aren’t on her side, she recently decided that when someone who is on her side interviews her, she has to treat them like garbage. You’d never know this by listening to the interview, because my producer edited out all the parts where this guest was rude to me (which was at least 10 minutes of a 15-minute interview). I thought she had class; apparently, that’s not the case. Not that day, anyway.

Based on what I’ve read of the book I was helping her promote, I agree with much of what she has to say – but unlike her writing, what came out of her mouth while I was interviewing her had not gone through spellcheck and editing, if you know what I mean. I can’t overstate how disappointed I was to be treated so poorly by someone who I was promoting – not just with this interview, but with a highly publicized event I’m still sponsoring in Ontario next month. Let me repeat: My company is the only sponsor of her event. Maybe she thinks she doesn’t need Inland Empire fans to buy her book; after all, it’s already on the New York Times bestseller list. But if she treats other local hosts and event sponsors the way she treated me, she may find herself selling fewer and fewer books over time.

Here’s the point: I’m not outing this person by name, because we’re supposed to stick together. Just like the Democrats.

Ed Hoffman is the host of the Main Event on AM590, which airs Saturday 9:30AM- 10:30AM and Sunday 4:00PM- 5:00PM. Follow him on Twitter @EdHoffman, and like him on Facebook by searching The Main Event 590.