Eric Swalwell dropping his run for governor, and also resigning from the House of Representatives, was actually a very good look for Democrats. Democrats showed, in this case, that they can put aside political loyalty for right and wrong. Seeing him step aside showed that Democrats stood up against someone accused of sexually assaulting women instead of making excuses for him or trying to downplay the situation. Democrats made it clear that there are lines of morality that just can’t be crossed. Republicans, on the other hand, continually make excuses for Donald Trump, while Democrats actually made a statement that this kind of behavior will not be accepted. That contrast matters, and it shows that accountability is still possible when leaders are willing to do the right thing. The ironic thing is that a lot of Republicans also spoke out against Swalwell but refuse to do so when it is a president from their own party. Swalwell was just accused and had no judgments filed against him, although he probably eventually will, because many of the accusations against him seem very credible. But Republicans didn’t want to wait for those judgments, and they were quick to demand accountability all of a sudden. And I am not saying Republicans are wrong in this case, everyone who wanted Swalwell to drop out of the governor’s race and step down from Congress was right. Democrats were right. Republicans were right. It didn’t matter, because what he did was morally wrong to anyone with any common sense. That’s exactly how accountability should work, regardless of party. The problem is Republicans are showing their double standard. Trump has actually had judgments against him, like in the E. Jean Carroll case. There have also been many substantial accusations made against him from credible sources, just like with Swalwell. The difference is that in Trump’s case, many Republicans either ignore it, minimize it, or try to discredit the accusers. But when it was Swalwell, they immediately called for him to step aside. That contrast is hard to ignore. It shows that for many Republicans, it’s not really about the behavior at all, it’s about who is being accused. In Trump’s case, they still continue to make excuses. They continue to prove how brainwashed they are and how much they have a cult-like mentality. No matter what comes out, no matter what evidence is presented, they always find a way to defend him. It doesn’t seem to matter what the allegations are or how serious they become, the response is always the same, deny and defend. Something also very telling is how quiet Trump has been on the situation involving Eric Swalwell. He is keeping quiet because he knows he is just as bad as Swalwell, if not worse. There is no way Trump would normally not pile on a Democrat who is down, but in this one situation, all of a sudden, he can’t. Normally, Trump jumps at any opportunity to attack Democrats, especially when they are in trouble. But this time, he has stayed unusually quiet, and that silence speaks volumes. In a disturbing way, they share a bond of sorts, and Trump knows that going after Swalwell would only draw attention to his own history and the judgments and accusations against him. Not that Republicans will care.
