For Democrats, 'freedom' is just another word for mandate 

While speakers at the Democratic National Convention tried to portray presidential nominee Kamala Harris as some type of cross between Perry Mason, Jack McCoy and Mother Teresa, the overriding theme at the convention and until the election is freedom. But don’t be fooled. Democratic strategists made it very clear months ago that they shifted to the freedom theme as a marketing strategy because it sells well.

As the Wall Street Journal’s Molly Ball reported last December, abortion rights advocates have “changed their message.” And the article’s subtitle explains why: “Supporters of abortion access have emphasized ‘freedom’ and ‘values’ in successful campaigns in red-leaning states, with more to come in 2024.” 

We saw the “more to come” at the convention, and we’ll hear it frequently until the election.  

Ball points out, “Abortion-rights activists rarely use the term ‘pro-choice’ anymore, preferring to talk about people’s ‘freedom to decide.’” We heard that message from several convention speakers.  

As one Democrat told Ball, “‘The messaging we were using wasn’t working, and we knew we had to get at deeper emotions, versus what people say they think.’” Democrats discovered the term freedom resonated with lots of people, especially with independents and seniors.   

Democratic pollster Angela Kuefler added that Democrats “can seize on the success of the ‘freedom’ message and tie it to other issues, such as Republicans’ attempts to limit books in school libraries or gender-reassignment treatments.” 

How do you know that Democrats are deceptively using the term freedom to sell their agenda? Because there are lots of fundamental freedoms they have no intention of allowing Americans to enjoy. Here’s some of them: 

Am I free not to have health insurance? Even though Barack Obama’s convention speech boasted of “every woman’s right to make her own health care decisions,” that doesn’t include decisions about health insurance. His Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) mandated that everyone have health insurance, whether they wanted it or not. And not just any insurance, but the health insurance he and Democrats chose for us. Bill and Hillary Clinton also mandated health insurance coverage in their failed 1993-94 attempt at health insurance reform. 

Am I free not to be vaccinated? Not according to President Biden. “We’ve been patient. But our patience is wearing thin, and your refusal has cost all of us,” Biden announced at the White House in September of 2021. He mandated federal employees and contractors, the military, hospitals and employers (with 100 or more employees) get the COVID-19 vaccine — and he would have made it a universal mandate if he could.  

The issue here isn’t the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine; I got both shots and the initial boosters as soon as I could. The point is that Democrats repeatedly lecture the rest of us that people should be allowed to control their own health care — except, it turns out, when it comes to certain vaccines.  

Am I free not to drive an electric vehicle? Not if environmentalists and Green New Dealers have their way. The Environmental Protection Agency and several states are forcing carmakers to transition to electric-vehicle production, phasing out the production of new cars that use fossil fuels. As the Wall Street Journal editorialized last March, “auto makers will have no choice but to limit gas-powered, and increase EV, production to meet the [EPA] mandates. The only ‘choice’ Americans will have in the future is electric.” 

Am I free not to send my children to the public school of the government’s choosing? Not if Democrats take the White House and Congress. They have made their opposition to school vouchers, and even charter schools, very clear and, bowing to the teachers’ unions, would likely try to eliminate any type of school choice. 

Am I free to go to church or synagogue during a pandemic? Not if Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz is in charge. Even though the Minnesota governor told the convention, “In Minnesota, we respect our neighbors and their personal choices that they make,” Walz shut down houses of worship during the pandemic and kept them closed much longer than most states.  

Do I have the freedom, if I’m a young lady, to compete in sports only against biological females? Not in Walz’s world. When Minnesota Republicans introduced a bill that would ban transgender athletes from playing on sports teams matching their gender identity, as opposed to their biological sex, Walz threatened to veto it. 

Convention speakers waxed eloquent on the freedom theme. But it was mostly a marketing ploy. They know Americans revere their God-given and constitutional freedoms and want to preserve them. So, Democrats are couching everything they want to do in the guise of freedom. What they aren’t saying is how many long-cherished freedoms Americans will lose if Democrats take control. 

Merrill Matthews is a public policy and political analyst and the co-author of “On the Edge: America Faces the Entitlements Cliff.” Follow him on X@MerrillMatthews.