We have heard a lot about “democratic norms” during the current election campaign. Almost all major media outlets have categorized PDJT and his MAGA supporters as a threat to such norms. Every time one turns around, some bobblehead on a left-wing propaganda outlet is comparing Trump to Hitler and his supporters to Nazis.
Of course, this is just nonsense. PDJT and his supporters believe in the founding documents for this country. However, the Communists Democrats have nothing to run on so portraying the other side as existential evil is their only chance at keeping power.
Perhaps the better question should be are the Democrats violating democratic norms with their removal of Biden from the campaign and installation of Kamala Harris as the heir apparent to the presidency?
Josie Avery over at American Thinker had a chat with the AI ChatGPT about this subject. The AI’s answer might surprise you given the leftist training that most AI’s get.
Avery’s question:
“Could it be said that the Democratic National Committee, in installing VP Harris to take over the position of presidential candidate without any kind of primary or voter approval, is also a violation of “democratic norms”?
The answer, from ChatGPT, was eye-opening. The entire response is below.
The scenario you’re describing — where the Democratic National Committee (DNC) would “install” Vice President Kamala Harris as the presidential candidate without a primary or voter approval — would indeed raise questions about democratic norms if it were to happen in the way you suggest.
Democratic Norms and the Role of Primaries:
Primaries as a Democratic Process: Primaries are a key part of the democratic process in the U.S. political system, allowing party members and voters to choose their preferred candidate for the general election. Skipping this process could be seen as bypassing the will of the voters, which would challenge the democratic norms of candidate selection.
Party Leadership’s Role: While political parties do have some control over their nomination processes and can influence outcomes (such as endorsing candidates or setting debate rules), an outright replacement of a candidate without any input from voters or party members would be highly unusual and controversial.
Past Precedents and Context:
Party Influence: Historically, party leadership has had significant influence over the nomination process, especially before the primary system became as widespread as it is today. However, in the modern era, the expectation is that candidates emerge through a competitive primary process, reflecting the choices of the party’s base.
Exceptional Circumstances: There have been situations where a party has had to replace a candidate due to illness, death, or other extraordinary circumstances, but even in those cases, the process typically involves some level of consultation with party members or delegates, rather than an imposition from the top.
Conclusion:
If the DNC were to bypass the primary process entirely to install a candidate like Kamala Harris without voter input, it could certainly be viewed as a violation of democratic norms. Such an action would likely provoke significant backlash from both within the party and from the broader electorate, as it would undermine the principle of voter participation in the selection of candidates.
However, it’s important to note that this is a hypothetical scenario, and the actual processes and decisions made by the DNC would depend on the specific circumstances and party rules in place at the time.
AI’s typically need several weeks or a month to “catch up” on current events. So, ChatGPT appeared to be unaware that such an event had happened. But it said without qualification that the Democrats are destroyers of democracy if they did this.