It was back to the future at the Democratic presidential debate. Namely “1984” — with candidates serving up the kind of seductive political euphemisms that could have been lifted from the pages of George Orwell’s famous novel.
“Gun control” was never mentioned. Everybody just wanted “gun safety legislation.”
Abortion? What’s that? The candidates supported “a woman’s right to choose.”
Higher taxes? Nope. The wealthy just need to pay their “fair share.”
Lincoln Chafee dropped the first euphemism of the night about 12 seconds into his opening statement when he vowed to address “income inequality” and “close the gaps between the haves and haves not.”
Translation: income redistribution.
Hillary Clinton followed suit by demanding that, “The wealthy will have to pay their fair share of taxes.”
Saying that we need to “save capitalism from itself,” she demanded that the country
“rein in the excesses of capitalism.”
Lincoln Chafee heartily supported “a women’s right to choose.” Choose what? To have Planned Parenthood sell her aborted fetuses’s body parts?
Nobody called for “gun control,” just “gun safety.”
O’Malley bragged that as Maryland governor, “We passed comprehensive gun safety legislation.” He signed legislation that banned 45 kinds of assault rifles and outlawed magazines with more than 10 rounds.
Chafee then followed suit by citing his support for “comprehensive gun safety legislation.”
Clinton urged the country to “tackle mass incarceration.” Translation: send fewer criminals to jail and spring them early.
There was no such thing as politically convenient flip-flops, according to Hillary Clinton, herself a master practitioner. She just explained that, “If you are learning you are going to change your position.”
Sanders supported a “path towards citizenship” for illegal immigrants. Read: amnesty.
Hillary Clinton rounded out the night by saying Republicans want “big government” to interfere with a “woman’s right to choose.”
Choose what? Between different types of mascara? Or did she mean abortion?
So maybe all those thick briefing books that the candidates likely used to prepare for the debate were not necessary. They just needed to read “1984.”