In a way, the Left's obsession with Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is a compliment. The mob doesn't waste its time with leaders who aren't true threats. And the Missouri conservative is a threat all right -- because regardless of what they call him, try to do to him, or take away from him, he's not backing down.
The MSNBC headline was one of the most comical. On the Maddow Blog, Steve Benen was beside himself. How can Josh Hawley repair his reputation, he said, if he doesn't even bother to try? Of course, the irony is, Hawley's reputation is only damaged in circles where he was never respected in the first place. And as far as the Left is concerned, there's only one road to "redemption," and that's caving to the extremists' demands. Well, they can hope for that all they want, Hawley said on "Washington Watch," but it's not going to happen. This senator doesn't believe in white flags -- only American ones.
As calls for his resignation grow, so has Hawley's resolve. If you want to know why the Left is so angry, he said, it's simple: "I won't bow down to their mob." Under this supercharged cancel culture -- the one ushered in by January 6 -- they argue that even representing your constituents is a crime! "It's an unbelievable attempt to silence all opposition," Hawley argued. "And it's a threat to democracy." Look, Hawley said, the reality is, "It's not really about [people like Ted Cruz and myself]. It's about the people we represent... [it's] about the 75 million Americans who took a different view in the last election. They want to crush that dissent... and I'm not going to go along with it."
Joe Biden and his party don't want unity. They want control. "[What] he's talking about -- what Democrats in Congress and the media, the Left-wing mob [are talking about] -- is total control of political discourse," Hawley warned. "What they want is everyone who disagrees with them to be shut up, silenced, or expelled... That's half the country [who they think] have illegitimate views -- who should repent of ever supporting anyone but Democrats. This is crazy stuff," he shook his head. "And I, for one... am not going to be told what to think or do or say by the mob."
But the scary thing, as we talked about, is that big businesses, Big Tech, the media -- they're all in league with the Left. What we're seeing here is an unprecedented alliance between monopoly corporations and the Democratic Party. "I don't know that we've ever seen quite this much concentrated power in so few hands," Hawley said, "in American history." And it's not going away on its own. Americans can't just say, "Okay, well, we'll be nice and play by your rules." They'll crush us. The only way to keep our freedoms is to use them -- and fight for them.
If they won't unify the country, we will -- around the bedrock principles of free speech, free exercise, open debate. Because frankly, this isn't just a threat to conservatives -- it's a threat to everyone. If you believe in the First Amendment, regardless of your political persuasion, it's time to stand up and say, "Enough." In America, we don't shame people for their views -- we discuss them. But unfortunately, since the election of Barack Obama, and the acceleration of these radical and unpopular policies, the Left isn't interested in dialogue. They don't want to have a civil conversation on their agenda, because they can't logically, rationally, or scientifically support it. Instead, their attitude is, "If I disagree with you, I'll try to criminalize you." And that's about as dangerous to a free society as it gets.
So what can people do? For starters, Senator Hawley urges, stop buying in to the media's lies. "We've got to resist this idea that if you hold a different opinion or you represent a part of the country that doesn't agree with the latest radical agenda that you can be silenced... [W]e've got to go back to the basic things that unite all Americans: the First Amendment, the principal of democracy. That's where we've got to take our stand."
As a country, this is a crucial moment. The other side sees the confusion and frustration of this moment as a chance to finish conservatives off for good. But take heart. The Left can only win if we bow down in fear and let them. As Senator Hawley said, this is the time to graciously -- but firmly -- stand and say, "This is my view. I'm protected by the First Amendment, and I'm not going to surrender."
