Donald Trump is completely transforming the Democrats
By Jonathan Turley, opinion contributor — 12/29/18 10:00 AM EST
Washington has long been a stranger to principle ... other than the principle of self-advancement. Yet, something new seems to be emerging in the country. Politicians have long felt the need to disguise raw political agendas in the pretense of principle. That pretense is now gone.
In this age of rage, voters seem to have no patience, let alone need, for leaders speaking of abstract principles. They want immediate, unequivocal action in supporting or opposing President Donald Trump. For Democrats, that unequivocal, all-consuming purpose has led to the abandonment of core unifying values, including many that first drew me to the Democratic Party. While they would vehemently deny it, Trump is remaking the party in his inverse image. This past month has shown just how far that transformation has gone.
The remaking of the Democratic Party was most evident last week with the reaction to Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from Syria. There was a time when a sizable number of Democrats opposed undeclared wars and unending military campaigns. Now, however, Democrats are appalled that Trump would not continue a war in one of the myriad countries with U.S. troops engaged in combat operations. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called the withdrawal a “Christmas gift to Vladimir Putin,†while Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) and others called it “irresponsible†or “hasty.â€
Of course, this “hasty†move is occurring after seven years of intervention in the civil war, including personnel on the ground since 2012. We also have been in Iraq since 2003, and in Afghanistan since 2001. A 2017 study put the real costs of the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Pakistan at $5.6 trillion since 2001. More importantly, thousands of military personnel have been killed and tens of thousands have been wounded. Yet, Democrats now espouse the same lines that once were denounced during the Bush administration.
more
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/423178-donald-trump-is-completely-transforming-the-democrats