Michelle Goldberg, the New York Times columnist, can be thought-provoking. Take the following as an example:
If Matt Gaetz was a Democrat he'd have to resign immediately, but the Republican who pulled a gun on his wife and pressured his mistress to have an abortion is still there so maybe he can gut it outhttps://t.co/QY8YESaghg
— Michelle Goldberg (@michelleinbklyn) April 2, 2021
That tweet leaves me pondering important questions like, “Which world is it that Michelle Goldberg inhabits?” Because it certainly isn’t this one.
Matt Gaetz is a disgrace. So is Scott DesJarlais, the congressman to whom Goldberg refers. But how on earth can a New York Times columnist suggest that those two would have to resign if they were Democrats while New York governor Andrew Cuomo remains in office? Cuomo is responsible for a catastrophic policy error that led directly to the deaths of his constituents, covering up that mistake, and providing for the preferential treatment of his family during a pandemic, as well as being accused of numerous allegations of sexual misconduct. A few other names of Democrats who didn’t resign that Goldberg might remember: Bill Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Chris Dodd, Ralph Northam.
It’s obviously true that partisans of stripes both red and blue are reticent to hold their own to account. Submitting that only Republican officeholders can get away with improper or heinous acts, though, is manifestly silly.