Samantha Bee asks why Democrats are borrowing 'identity politics' talking points from Fox News

Samantha Bee wades into the Democrats&#039; post-loss civil war

(Image credit: Full Frontal)

published 13 December 2016

"Five weeks ago, the Democrats lost the presidential election, the Senate election, the House election, the Supreme Court, and the will to live," Samantha Bee said on Monday's Full Frontal. "Democrats are now officially in the wilderness," she said, and they're "reacting like any desperate party lost in the wilderness would: by attacking and eating each other." On one side are those advocating for the Stronger Together inclusiveness employed by Hillary Clinton and on the other are those, like Sen. Bernie Sanders, arguing for class-based economic populism and calling Clinton's approach "identity politics." Bee latched on to the "identity politics" meme.

"Hold up, Donner party," she said. "That's a fun new buzzword. Could someone whitesplain it to us?" The explainer was Heather MacDonald of the conservative Manhattan Institute, on Fox News. Bee wasn't impressed. "One, white males is an identity, and two, the only way white racism is a 'phantom' is that its most iconic uniform is literally a ghost costume." So she offered her own definition: "Identity politics is a dismissive term for what we used to call civil rights and equality." After playing Fox News clips where conservatives "generously" shared political advice with Democrats, Bee sighed: "Come on, Democrats, there's loser Stockholm Syndrome and then there's taking your talking points from Steve Doocy and pals."

And sticking up for equal rights isn't the electoral loser Fox News paints it to be, Bee said, citing the case of North Carolina. "You know what happens when Democrats stand up for transgender rights? They win. What do you know? And not just a governorship." Hillary Clinton talked a lot about jobs, she added, closing with some advice to Clinton's warring party: "Look, Democrats, I know you're having a rough time. You hate being lost in the wilderness — you have allergies, and you were reading a book in the corner when your Scout leader taught everyone which leaves to avoid. But if your panic over a loss makes you abandon both your principles and the people who actually vote for you, then you'll be in the wildness for a decade — or until Trump's Cabinet sells the wilderness to oil companies." Watch below, but be warned: There is some NSFW language. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.