I keep thinking of that people of faith exchange from the vice-presidential debate. Mike Pence tried to get Kamala Harris to own her bigotry toward traditional values — values that Joe Biden once espoused in degrees. Kamala Harris is some of the most radical elements of her party. Joe Biden has chosen of his own free will — perhaps shackled by the desire for power — to surrender to them. He could have been a transformational figure in American politics if he chose to be what he sometimes claims to be when he brandishes his baptism as a credential, even as he rejects fundamental teachings in his public life with vehemence.
The insulting thing from the Democratic Party is: We know Joe Biden has past his prime. We’ve seen the mishaps. I feel for him as a fellow human being. Aging takes some humility as the invincibility of youth fades. Kamala Harris’s own references to the Harris administration seem to make this reality even more obvious. Her radicalism should be an issue. His stands on its own, but hers is bold. If she were running at the top of the ticket, I wouldn’t be shocked if she were quite as obnoxious about it as when she took on a judicial nominee for his membership in the Knights of Columbus. The Knights of Columbus? A terrific fraternal organization, some of the best of civil society. The kind of person who would think them controversial just might think it sinister that Amy Coney Barrett would have a community of faith around her to help her truly live the Christian life. I talked to someone this week who didn’t even know Joe Biden was pro-abortion. That’s what they want. They hide the ugly. They lie. Lying obviously isn’t solely a Democratic problem, but could we please be honest about some of the most fundamental issues we face? What does religious freedom mean to you, Kamala Harris? It’s not insulting for Mike Pence to press you on your record and beliefs when you are going to be a heartbeat away from the presidency, if Biden is elected.
This is the game Barack Obama and Joe Biden played with the Little Sisters of the Poor, they wanted it not to come up, and when it did, they dismissed with derision or lied that there was no problem. America, we have some problems. Donald Trump’s recklessness is far from the only one. And he’s always been a symptom of a larger ailment. Biden and Harris are, too. The sexual revolutionary values that have overtaken our lives. Donald Trump sees an opportunity in aligning himself with Team Amy Coney Barrett. I’m grateful for that. I don’t pretend he’s the ideal standard bearer for my values and I don’t really know what he believes about anything. So, I’m not telling you what to do with your vote, but Kamala Harris couldn’t get elected on her own being honest about her agenda. So again, Mike Pence wasn’t being insulting. Insulting is the pretending there isn’t something seismic happening. We’re entering territory of a new intolerance, and the Democracy Dies in the Dark crowd may just be cheering it on.