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Authoritarian Psychology Behind Democrats’ Bad Bet On Biden

Authoritarian Psychology Behind Democrats’ Bad Bet On Biden

Why the party of democracy turned against democracy

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Michael Shellenberger
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Alex Gutentag
Jul 01, 2024
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Authoritarian Psychology Behind Democrats’ Bad Bet On Biden
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Vice President Kamala Harris ; President Joe Biden; First Lady Jill Biden (Getty Images)

Over the last seven years, Democrats and the mainstream news media have repeatedly characterized Donald Trump as “abnormal.” Said HBO’s John Oliver in 2016, “He is not normal. He is abnormal.” On January 31, 2017, a week after Trump took office, the New York Times published an essay on “The Abnormal Presidency of Donald Trump.” One month later, it published another essay asking, “Just How Abnormal Is the Trump Presidency? Rating 20 Events.”

Trump’s abnormality was particularly dangerous, Democrats and the news media warned us, since, as president, he was authorized to start nuclear war. And, explained the Chicago Tribune, “Trump’s abnormal behavior knows no boundaries.”

By contrast, Joe Biden was the “normalcy candidate,” according to Democrats and the media. Biden specifically campaigned on a “return to normalcy.” Concluded experts, “Joe Biden Won on Normalcy.” This came as a relief because Biden could be trusted to keep the country out of war, including nuclear war.

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