Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent calls for incivility may come back to haunt the Democratic Party during the midterms if a new Republican ad resonates with voters.
The GOP opted for a kind of political aikido this week with the release “The Left: An Unhinged Mob,” an ad which seeks to use the Democrats’ own rhetoric against them. The spot features a handful of political leaders using strident messaging juxtaposed with violent and emotional outbursts from political activists.
“When they go low, we kick them,” former Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. says after a clip of a pro-life protester is kicked in the face by an abortion activist.
“You cannot be civil with a political party that wants to destroy what you stand for,” adds Mrs. Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, before cutting to left-wing protesters pounding on the doors of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Hillary Clinton: “You cannot be civil with a political party that wants to destroy what you stand for” https://t.co/8QI5BoEN6t pic.twitter.com/P04am7WREQ
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) October 9, 2018
SEE ALSO: Eric Holder: ‘When they go low, we kick them’
Republicans have criticized their political counterparts in recent weeks for rhetoric they say is irresponsible and likely to spur unstable or radical citizens to acts of violence.
Mrs. Clinton told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that reasoned dialogue can return once Democrats regain power.
“I believe if we are fortunate enough to take back the House and or the Senate, that’s when civility can start again,” she said Tuesday.
“The Left: An Unhinged Mob” tallied more than 120,000 YouTube views in less than 24 hours.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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