The CNN panel didn’t like hearing it, but Scott Jennings went ahead and said it anyway.
During a discussion last night about some of the increasingly radical positions being taken by socialist candidates in the Democrat Party, Jennings argued that the controversy surrounding American holidays is revealing something much deeper about the movement itself.
No one else had been willing to admit this, up until now.
His point was simple — when political candidates start attacking traditions that have been part of American life for generations, voters should pay attention to what those attacks actually say about their view of the country.
Jennings called these a “window” into the anti-American worldview of the communists that are attempting to do a hostile takeover of the Democrat Party.
He specifically brought up Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong, who has openly called for ‘canceling’ Thanksgiving, before turning his fire to U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, the Michigan Democrat who has also drawn attention for his comments about the Fourth of July.
JENNINGS: “When you’re so crazy that Bernie Sanders and AOC won’t even endorse you, you’re pretty far out there!”
“I think these holiday conversations are actually valuable.”
“She hates Thanksgiving. Today, our own K-file here at CNN uncovered the fact that over in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed wants to get rid of the 4th of July.”
Jennings argued that these positions deserve more attention because they offer voters a glimpse into the underlying worldview of the people making them.
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins immediately pushed back, pointing out that El-Sayed had specifically talked about getting rid of fireworks rather than eliminating the Fourth of July itself.
COLLINS: “I think he said we should get rid of fireworks.”
Collins was essentially trying to sanitize and downplay El-Sayed’s comments, but Jennings was having none of it.
JENNINGS: “He was very critical of the 4th of July.”
COLLINS: “Getting rid of fireworks is different than getting rid of the 4th of July.”
That distinction clearly wasn’t going to satisfy Jennings.
He believed Collins was focusing too narrowly on the literal wording while missing the broader point he was trying to make about the political movement behind these candidates.
JENNINGS: “I think you’re downplaying the message…”
“I think these are windows into the souls of these anti-American, radical communists.”
Jennings then connected the criticism of individual holidays to what he sees as a total rejection of American culture and tradition.
JENNINGS: “If you hate Thanksgiving and you hate the 4th of July, what you’re really saying is I hate some of the pillars that undergird American culture.”
That, Jennings said, creates a much bigger political problem for candidates who are trying to convince ordinary Americans that they should be trusted with running their communities.
His question was essentially: how do you convince voters that you’re fighting for their interests while simultaneously attacking traditions that many of those same voters consider central to American life?
JENNINGS: “And how are you going to have a conversation with a voter about affordability or public safety or anything else, if you’re trying to get rid of Thanksgiving and the 4th of July?”
Jennings saved his best one liner for the end.
JENNINGS: “I mean, if I was Christmas and Easter I wouldn’t be feeling too comfortable right now if these people win!”
The panel wasn’t happy about it, but Jennings had already made his point. It landed for anyone who was listening at home.
To him, these attacks on Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July aren’t meaningless culture-war distractions. There’s something much deeper going on.
They’re a pretty good indication of where some of these candidates actually stand when it comes to America itself.
For Jennings, the holidays are a window into whether you actually cherish America as a nation, and the traditions that come with it.
