Debra Soh offers Washington Examiner readers an interesting response to Tulsi Gabbard’s recent departure from the Democratic Party.
Tulsi Gabbard is leaving the Democratic Party because it no longer reflects her values.
In a Twitter thread and accompanying video, Gabbard cited the party’s adherence to a woke, alienating agenda. Gabbard discussed her concerns about racial division and anti-white racism, the abandonment of the rule of law, the prioritization of the well-being of criminals over the safety of law-abiding citizens, and the rejection of objective reality, particularly in the realm of biological sex.
“Women exist and are not just a construct in someone’s mind,” she said, highlighting the ways in which radical gender theory has obliterated the definition and use of the word “woman,” the safety of women and girls, and the future of their sports.
Gabbard also highlighted how parents and families are being removed from decisions about their children’s upbringing and education.
Gabbard’s comments are certainly reflective of a wider sentiment among many on the liberal Left, myself included, who feel increasingly disenfranchised by Democrats’ current policies. A recent Pew Research Center study underlines this political fatigue.
Discontented liberals make up 10% of adults. They are described as holding views ranging from “liberal” to “very liberal” on most social issues. Fifty-seven percent are women, and 83% are under the age of 50. They typically vote Democratic but are less politically engaged than others in the party. For example, this group was 9 percentage points less likely than the average citizen to vote in the 2020 presidential election and 11 points less likely to vote than the average Democrat. Only 3 in 10 identify as Democrats, and about 5 in 10 identify as Democratic-leaning independents. They are more likely to have supported Sen. Bernie Sanders in the 2020 Democratic primaries. Most reported feeling like “none of the candidates for public office represent their views well” and that there is little difference in what the two parties stand for.