By Jessica Chasmar - The Washington Times
HBO host Bill Maher said mainstream Democrats have to denounce the “insane” political correctness taking over their party if they want to win the midterm elections in November.
In Friday’s episode of “Real Time With Bill Maher,” the liberal comedian opened his panel discussion by arguing that a blue wave in November is unlikely unless Democrats move away from cultural issues that make them look “weak.”
“I believed that [political correctness] would destroy us then, and I believe that now,” Mr. Maher said, referring to an argument he made 25 years ago on his former Comedy Central show “Politically Incorrect.”
“I think people vote, not so much on policy anymore, I don’t think they follow it closely, I think they vote on who’s strong,” he said. “They know Trump’s an idiot, but he looks strong and political correctness — weak.
“Eighty percent of Americans see political correctness as a problem,” he continued, citing an article last week by The Atlantic. “And I think it’s our problem. And I don’t know why more mainstream liberals don’t denounce the political correctness that they must know in private conversations is insane.”
Pressed for an example on PC culture run amok, Mr. Maher cited former astronaut Scott Kelly, who was recently pressured to apologize for quoting former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
“This is the guy who saved us from the Nazis!” Mr. Maher said of Churchill.
“This is when the Trump people go, ‘Yes, you people are too fragile to be in control of the government,’” he said.
“If you don’t think these purists are doing us harm, I think you’re missing a big point,” he added after some discussion from the panel. “I think they wake up and say, ‘How can we make our club smaller?’ And then they ask why they lose.
“Groups are only successful when they call out their crazies,” he said. “The Republican Party doesn’t, you can say that radical Islam has that problem, people calling out the crazies, and I think we have that problem too. I mean, NPR will not use the term ‘homeless,’ people ‘affected by homelessness.’ I’m saying Trump people, independent people, just normal people, not here on the coasts, hear stuff like that and they go, ‘You know what, I don’t know that much about policy, but you know, this is just too fragile. I can’t let these people in the Oval Office because they’re just too weak.’