This:
Awww. Lovely, isn’t it. Now that Tom Sherman is a State Senator, it’s all about Republicans working with Democrats to “move New Hampshire forward together.”
Of course, when it was Dan Innis who prevailed in 2016, there was no awww moment with Sherman and no Sherman agreeing to work with Innis to “move New Hampshire forward together.” Rather, Sherman and the rest of the Democrats spent the next two years “resisting” the GOP and running for 2018:
When Democrats lose elections there is never any talk of working with the Republicans – of “[moving] New Hampshire forward together,” never any worry about not being seen as bipartisan for not supporting Republican bills. Rather, it’s all about blocking Republicans from achieving any legislative victories, peeling away Republicans so Democrats can enact their agenda and always, always, always about winning the next election.
What’s so disheartening about this “[moving] New Hampshire forward together” business is that from a GOP perspective there is no common ground with Ray Buckley Democrats.
Some nuggets from the Doctor’s twitter feed:
So the Doctor wants to eliminate due process, or at least due process for Republican judicial nominees. This is not an issue where compromise is possible. Either we have due process or we have a Stalinist “show me the man and I’ll show you the crime” system.
And the Doctor supports government health care and opposes school choice. Again, no compromise possible. Sherman and his ilk have no interest in GOP ideas for improving access to health care and education. It’s the one-size-fits-all, government-knows-best agenda of the close-minded, inflexible ideologue.
And, of course, the obligatory homage to Planned Parenthood.
To “move New Hampshire forward” in the direction that Sherman and his ilk want to move is, from a GOP perspective, capitulation not compromise. Republicans who entertain working with Sherman and his ilk are the GOP Surrender Caucus.
Another observation. Democrats spent the last two years calling the GOP Nazis, fascists, racists, bigots, homophobes, etc. etc. etc.. The inimitable Sherry Frost, for example:
While Sherman may not have engaged in this type of Stalinist rhetoric himself, he has no problem associating with people who do. Here he is with Debra Altschiller, who believes that voting against a bill she supports means you are part of the “rape culture”:
While I do not believe Innis intended to (I certainly hope he did not), having dinner with Sherman, at best, normalizes the Democrats’ tactic of calling GOP rapists, racists, etc. etc. etc., and likely suggests to some that there is a basis for these Stalinist-style attacks.
To be clear, I am not against compromise and trying to find common ground with the other side of the aisle. But what we have is a one-way street, where Democrats get to “resist” and Republicans have to be “bipartisan” for the sake of being bipartisan. That’s not “[moving] New Hampshire forward together.” That’s the GOP surrendering.
