Democrats across the country have been claiming the Democrat Party is the Big Tent Party. This is supposed to mean the Democrats are inclusive enough to include moderate Democrats and even disaffected Republican voters. Here in Arkansas we know that is NOT how it works.
While the Democrats want people across the spectrum to vote the Democrat ticket, Democrat leaders have embraced the radical left agenda. Democrat leaders like Chuck, Nancy, Bernie, and AOC and the squad will insist Democrat politicians fall in line with the far-left agenda. Democrat politicians who do not comply will be punished, marginalized, and attacked by Democrat leaders.
The Democrat Party as the BIG TENT PARTY is a BIG TENT LIE.
WE SAW THE LIE IN ARKANSAS
For decades Arkansas Democrats called themselves the Big Tent Party. As the Republican Party became viable in Arkansas the Democrats still called themselves the Big Tent Party, but they became more aggressive in enforcing conformity with the liberal agenda.
Two Examples Just from the City of Pocahontas
LINDA COLLINS. Linda Collins (Linda Collins-Smith) was from Pocahontas and was elected to the Arkansas House of Representative in 2010 as a Democrat. At that time, most people in her district considered themselves to be both Democrat and conservative. They did not know claims of being the Big Tent Party was only PR to attract voters and once in Little Rock conformity was required.
Not long after Linda took office, she found herself in conflict with the House Democrat leadership who demanded she fall in line with the liberal agenda. After one particular vote, Linda found herself surrounded by angry Democrat leaders who towered over her. They got right in her face and told her she WOULD NOT cast another conservative vote and she WOULD fall in line. If she did not comply, they would make her life miserable. Threats included that none of her bills would get any Democrat support, her House appointments would be in jeopardy, and they would make sure she was defeated next election.
They made her cry. But instead of breaking her promises to her constituents she changed parties, and this was at a time when the Democrats were still the majority party.
The Democrats made her pay by gerrymandering her district to make sure she would not be back. A few year later Linda won election to the legislature again. This time as the first Republican Senator from her area in modern history.
SCOTT BALTZ. Scot Baltz (D) was the next Representative from Pocahontas. He too was put to the test. Unlike Linda Collins he caved in to his party’s demand to conform to the liberal Democrat agenda.
Although Baltz was Democrat he ran on a pro-life platform. In 2013 he voted for two two pro-life bills that then Democrat Governor Mike Beebe vetoed. The House then voted on whether to override the vetoes. Seconds before the vote Baltz walked out of the chamber to avoid casting a vote. When confronted about why he walked out, Baltz claimed he “knew” there were still enough votes to override the veto and left to avoid angering Governor Beebe because he didn’t want to jeopardize Beebe’s support for state financial incentives to bring a chicken processing plant to Pocahontas. He was accused of trading babies for chickens. But such is the power of political parties – in Baltz’s case it was the Democrat Party and its pro-abortion stance.
WE SEE THE LIE ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL
Congressman Jeff Van Drew was elected as a Democrat and before his first term was over he found he wasn’t welcome in the Democrat Party’s so-called BIG TENT. He switched parties and became a Republican and later spoke at the Republican National Convention.
Van Drew said he reconsidered his party affiliation with the rise of the so-called “Squad” of liberal House Democratic lawmakers. “The party had moved from liberal to radical,” he said. “This new Democrat Party wasn’t just for higher taxes, now they were for open borders, against our police and against our God-given rights.”
Van Drew made the leap one year into his first term and soon after voting against Trump’s impeachment. He said that Democratic leaders told him if he did not vote for impeachment, his life “would be made difficult” and he would not be able to run for office again.
Congressman Van Drew added:
“Here’s my advice: Be true to who you are now, not who the Democrats used to be,” he concluded. [i]
The Democrat Party has rapidly moved to embrace RADICAL MILITANT LEFT-WING POLITICS. Joe Biden has adopted much of the socialist platform of Bernie Sanders and AOC to tax and control every part of the economy. Worse, Biden appears to be just a place holder for Kamila Harris who is ranked as one of the most liberal members in the US Senate. Democrats have supported, condoned, or excused Marxist inspired violence in big cities. Democrats are in no way, shape, or form a Big Tent Party. They are the party of the radical militant left.
Arkansans know the BIG TENT PARTY is a BIG TENT LIE.
The idea that the Democrat Party on the national level is a BIG TENT PARTY is the BIGGEST BIG TENT LIE.
[i] https://www.foxnews.com/politics/jeff-van-drew-rnc-speech
