Don’t Fall For the Common Ground Myth

Phyllis Schlafly Eagles · July 30 | The Common Ground Myth

Graphic: Friendly Enemies (1925) – 2, public domain

The conservative wing of American politics is on the side of nature and reality. We see things how they are and acknowledge the truth, no matter how unpleasant. The left is the side of dominance over nature, no matter how unrealistic such dominance is. The left believes genders can change and mass immigration has no real effects. They are divorced from reality.

Reality sticks around no matter how much they want it to go away. You cannot escape it for long. Sometimes, the more honest left-wing pundits or public figures will have brief moments of clarity. They will suddenly grasp that the woke has encroached on something they hold dear. Jerry Seinfeld noticed that wokeness destroyed comedy. Bill Maher also occasionally calls out leftist insanity. These are brief moments of clarity but do not make these men allies. Richard Dawkins had a similar moment with Christianity, recognizing that if Christianity had not been subverted, we would not be facing transgender ideology.

Conservatives all too often jump at the opportunity to call these men their own, just because they had one good realization. They should not do this. Auguste Meyrat wrote in The Federalist: “Conservatives should stop seeking common ground with people like Maher and instead note the stark differences.”

He continues: “It’s clear that Maher is profoundly misinformed on basic issues. He’s not just ignorant of today’s political and cultural situation; he believes the very opposite of what is true. He consumes tons of left-wing propaganda and never bothers to question any of it. Instead, he questions the conservatives who are willing to think critically about these narratives and arguments.”

Common ground with major leftist figures is a myth. Just because they are good on one issue does not mean they are allies. They are still leftists and should be shunned as long as they remain so.