It's a Christmas miracle that's been in the works for years now.
The fight up to Donald Trump's election was fraught with divisiveness that I hadn't seen in my 40 years on this Earth. The vile hatred spewed at each other, whether it's online or face-to-face, was disheartening, despite the fact that it only motivated many to fight all the harder.
People went to jail when they shouldn't have, were placed on lists they didn't belong on, had lawsuits thrust against them that were more than ridiculous, and on two occasions, murder was attempted on the now President-elect Donald Trump. All the action, all the fighting, and all the hate was exhausting. Sadly, I didn't see an end to it.
Yet, it seems like something is changing, and I'm more than a little surprised. I'm especially surprised because some of these changes are coming from the people I thought would've been the last to make them.
There's been a steady migration of the American left to the right. To be clear, these people aren't becoming full conservatives or identifying as Republican. Some of them are, but most remain self-identified Democrats with left-leaning ideals when it comes to certain subjects. However, as they drift more toward the center, they become willing to discuss these differences in a very real, good-faith way. They recognize that the lie they've been told for years — that the right are a bunch of bloodthirsty, women hating, homophobic, warmongers — isn't accurate in the least.
They're now seeing that the right is actually full of reasonable, well-intentioned, and well-meaning people. The most important part of that last sentence is the discovery that the right are "people."
The right seems split on this, but I'm of the mind that when Cenk Uyghur appeared on the stage at TPUSA's America Fest, I was elated. Uyghur has spend the last decade fighting the right tooth and nail, sometimes screaming, yelling, and pounding his desk during his program, "The Young Turks," over the right. Baseless accusations were hurled at us from both he and Anna Kasparian, his co-host.
Yet, something happened, or rather something broke. Kasparian's drift to the center began first as she noticed her opinions breaking from mainstream leftism, and as they did, the left did what it does best, it began attacking her as a heretic. As they did, she was pushed further rightward, to the center. Uyghur's drift would soon start after. After Trump won, there was something of an awakening.
Now, both are openly calling out the uncompromising hivemind of the left. As Nick Arama wrote on Saturday, Kasparian and Uyghur both highlighted how Kamala Harris being governor of California would be an absolute disaster, especially as Newsom has been one of the worst governors ever, but that once it's announced that Harris is the chosen nominee, Democrats in California will automatically get on board.
Considering the history of this show and these two people, this clip is almost surreal to watch.
Ana Kasparian explodes at cohost Cenk Uygur for not realizing that Kamala Harris' political career is over:
— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) December 20, 2024
Cenk Uygur: "I think Kamala Harris would probably run in a cakewalk for governor."
Ana Kasparian: "NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"
Cenk Uygur: "I'm telling you the reality… pic.twitter.com/xDMCpoHdb9
This touches on one of the reasons the left is bleeding out in terms of support. Its rigidity borders on the religious. There is no disagreement. The doctrine must be believed, the rules adhered to, and failure to do so will result in expulsion from the church. Kasparian, for instance, brazenly called out the left not long ago for being so ideologically homogenous, or else. Even her supposed "friends" on the left were never friends.
"So once I realize that there's no such thing as a leftist friend. No such thing as a leftist friend. They will backstab you. They will turn on you. It's a cult," she said.
Ana Kasparian describes why she cannot have 'backstabbing' leftist friends:
— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) December 8, 2024
Ana Kasparian: "So once I realize that there's no such thing as a leftist friend. No such thing as a leftist friend. They will backstab you. They will turn on you. It's a cult.
Like if you are not… pic.twitter.com/m9PDBoMKly
If you're individually-minded at all, being forbidden from asking questions or coming to unapproved conclusions is enough to turn you off big time. Trump's win in November is something that absolutely brought a lot of questions to the surface that many on the radical left and the heads of the DNC (redundant phrase, I know) don't seem to want to find answers to.
Trump winning the popular vote was a devastating shake-up in the minds of many on the left, who thought they were the good guys. They thought they were the popular ones and on the right side of history. How could so many people have been brought to vote for Trump, then? This is where things got interesting. They began to go to the sources for answers.
Someone I know, a die-hard anti-Trump Democrat, said he wanted to speak with me about how I could vote for Trump. It was clear to him that I wasn't a bad person, and that I wasn't hateful, and it's this kind of conversation that can open doors.
That was happening all over the country, and as it did, many people began to realize just how ideologically trapped they were. The folks at The Young Turks is just one group that did out of many, leading to Uyghur appearing on stage next to Charlie Kirk, having a very meaningful conversation both in subject and in essence.
It also led to this moment, where Uyghur sings the praises of the right for being more welcoming and willing to talk.
Cenk Uygur applauds Republicans for being more accepting than Democrats:
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) December 21, 2024
"You're more welcoming. If you agree with MAGA 5%, 'Welcome, come join us.' On the left if you disagree 5%, they go, 'Get out of here. You're a right winger, you're a fascist." pic.twitter.com/cDGVh6VTfW
Democrats voting Trump, The Young Turks, and even politicians like John Fetterman who declare they're refusing to root against Trump, and are more willing to embrace reality, signal a massive change in the culture.
I realize not everyone on the right is going to be willing to forgive and forget, but I encourage you to do so. This is a superb development. These people may never become conservatives and may still hold some left-leaning views on certain subjects, which is fine. This is a free country that encourages individual thought, but the point is that this is, at least, individual thought.
Leftists who come by their opinions honestly are better than leftists who obey a hivemind. The former kind of leftist can be reasoned with and talked to. They can at least understand and take good points into consideration. They can at least contribute to the conversation in a meaningful way.
Moreover, these leftists are far less likely to be roadblocks for no other reason than the leftist overlords told them to be. They have the ability to disagree and reject the body politic.
We would rather deal with them than what we have been, as at least these leftists will be far more interested and invested in the health and well-being of the country than the party itself.
