The Left’s addiction to crisis politics

[mystery-ak]

The Left’s addiction to crisis politics

Not every tragedy can be transformed into a referendum on the country’s moral legitimacy.

Kevin Mason | January 9, 2026

Never let a crisis go to waste. Rahm Emanuel may be forgotten, but the political maxim he coined has not. For today’s progressive leadership, it has become less a warning than a governing philosophy. Every tragedy must be elevated into a moral emergency. Every serious incident must be framed as evidence of systemic corruption. And every emotionally charged moment becomes an opportunity to advance a political narrative, especially in an election year.

With midterm elections approaching, every flashpoint risks becoming a campaign accelerant. Emanuel's adage, “never let a crisis go to waste,” is not a compliment. It is a warning. Voters are increasingly wary of leaders who treat tragedy as an opportunity to energize a base rather than a moment to unify a community.

The recent ICE-related shooting in Minnesota is a tragedy. A woman is dead. Her family deserves truth, transparency, and justice. What they do not deserve is to see her death immediately repurposed as political fuel by elected officials more interested in broadcasting outrage than in exercising restraint.

Yet that is exactly what Minnesotans and the country witnessed.

Before investigations were complete and the facts were established, Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey rushed to public judgment. Their rhetoric left little ambiguity about the narrative they intended to advance. Federal law enforcement was portrayed as an occupying force. Immigration enforcement was treated not as a contested policy area but as a moral offense. The implication was clear: this was not an incident to be examined but evidence to be deployed.

This is crisis politics at its purest.

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https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/01/the_left_s_addiction_to_crisis_politics.html

[MeganC]

Feeding into this "Crisis Mentality" is the trend in local news to breathlessly declare every event as BREAKING NEWS!!!

Minor grass fires, fender benders, missing pets, it's all Breaking News!!!

And then the trend of just this past year for local news to declare every weather event as an IMPACT DAY!! or an ACTION DAY!! complete with frenetic LIVE COVERAGE!!! by some moron who yells and screams with terrified wide eyed expressions about how a perfectly normal weather event should be seen as something of Biblical significance.

Myself, I watch less and less local news due to these trends. I suppose I could call it crisis fatigue.

[DefiantMassRINO]

It's not addiction, it's strategy to circumvent responsible, representative Government.

In crisis, there is less time for discussion, debate, legislating, amending, and voting because of the urgency of the moment.

Crisis is an emotional state that suborindates reason, logic, critical thinking, scrutiny, analysis, due diligence, best practices, established processes, audit requirements, compliance requirements, etc. - all the things necessary for responsible, accountable governence.

If there is a major fail, nobody can be blamed and held accountable because it was in response to a crisis.

How did they cram Obamacare down our throats?  Healthcare crisis.
How did they the 'Inflation Reduction Act' down our throats?  Covid crisis.
How did they justify not enforcing US Immigration Law?  Central American Gang Crisis

There are some people for whom crisis is their preferred method of operations because it provides them with the best odds of getting their way.

[Free Vulcan]

It's not addiction, it's strategy to circumvent responsible, representative Government.

In crisis, there is less time for discussion, debate, legislating, amending, and voting because of the urgency of the moment.

Crisis is an emotional state that suborindates reason, logic, critical thinking, scrutiny, analysis, due diligence, best pracices, established processes, audit requirements, compliance requirements, etc. - all the things necessary for responsible, accountable governence.

If there is a major fail, nobody can be blamed and held accountable because it was in response to a crisis.

How did they cram Obamacare down our throats?  Healthcare crisis.
How did they the 'Inflation Reduction Act' down our throats?  Covid crisis.
How did they justify not enforcing US Immigration Law?  Central American Gang Crisis

There are some people for whom crisis is their preferred method of operations because it provides them with the best odds of getting their way.

Exactly. It's the old Marxist/Hegelian action-reaction playbook they've been using for a couple of hundred years.

[Smokin Joe]

Feeding into this "Crisis Mentality" is the trend in local news to breathlessly declare every event as BREAKING NEWS!!!

Minor grass fires, fender benders, missing pets, it's all Breaking News!!!

And then the trend of just this past year for local news to declare every weather event as an IMPACT DAY!! or an ACTION DAY!! complete with frenetic LIVE COVERAGE!!! by some moron who yells and screams with terrified wide eyed expressions about how a perfectly normal weather event should be seen as something of Biblical significance.

Myself, I watch less and less local news due to these trends. I suppose I could call it crisis fatigue.

I got a series of daily emails declaring EMERGENCY WEATHER ALERTS. Ho Hum. It was for perfectly normal and not even really hazardous winter weather. 

I had to unsubscribe, it was just too much panic for me.

[Smokin Joe]

It's not addiction, it's strategy to circumvent responsible, representative Government.

In crisis, there is less time for discussion, debate, legislating, amending, and voting because of the urgency of the moment.

Crisis is an emotional state that suborindates reason, logic, critical thinking, scrutiny, analysis, due diligence, best practices, established processes, audit requirements, compliance requirements, etc. - all the things necessary for responsible, accountable governence.

If there is a major fail, nobody can be blamed and held accountable because it was in response to a crisis.

How did they cram Obamacare down our throats?  Healthcare crisis.
How did they the 'Inflation Reduction Act' down our throats?  Covid crisis.
How did they justify not enforcing US Immigration Law?  Central American Gang Crisis

There are some people for whom crisis is their preferred method of operations because it provides them with the best odds of getting their way.

EXACTLY! Some of the worst ever legislation and actions have been taken in the midst of "Crisis" or "Emergencies". One way to tell a piece of legislation will bee poorly written, ill conceived, and stuffed through without consideration of consequence is to see the "Emergency" label on it.

Not to mention finishing certifying electoral votes on 1/6/21, without opportunity for objections or consideration.

[DB]

There's also the "do something" crowd. Sometimes doing nothing is the right choice. The whole mask thing was to do something - it mattered not that doing that caused more harm than good, they were doing something.