Chris Roemer: Democrats Must Reject Political Litmus Tests
The Democratic Party’s leadership appears driven more by fear than principle, argues Chris Roemer. Shortly after Charlie Kirk’s assassination, actress Jamie Lee Curtis appeared on the left-leaning podcast WTF with Marc Maron. During the episode, Curtis committed what many on the left deemed an unforgivable act: expressing sympathy for Kirk and his family.
“I disagreed with him on almost every point I ever heard him say, but I believe he was a man of faith, and I hope in that moment when he died, that he felt connected to his faith, even though his ideas were abhorrent to me.”
“I still believe he’s a father and a husband and a man of faith, and I hope whatever connection to God means that he felt it.”
Showing sympathy to someone who holds non-secular views on LGBTQIA+ issues sparked outrage among many on the left. The backlash was so severe that Curtis felt obligated to clarify her remarks in an interview with Variety:
“An excerpt of it mistranslated what I was saying as I wished him well — like I was talking about him in a very positive way, which I wasn’t; I was simply talking about his faith in God.”
Curtis’ need to qualify her compassion highlights the intolerance within certain left-wing circles, where expressing empathy for political opponents is increasingly unacceptable.
Author’s summary: Roemer criticizes the Democratic leadership for intolerance, emphasizing the damaging effects of demanding political purity and rejecting basic empathy for ideological opponents.