Jerry Shenk: Testing ‘Krauthammer’s Law’

In 2002, columnist Charles Krauthammer postulated what has become known as “Krauthammer’s Law.” It states: “To understand the workings of American politics, you have to understand this fundamental law: Conservatives think liberals are stupid. Liberals think conservatives are evil.”

The Law states what each side “thinks,” without mentioning “facts.” More on those later…

We now live in an era where leftists have normalized labeling half the nation — conservatives, even moderates — as “fascists,” “Nazis,” “haters,” “sexist,” “racist,” and ”existential threats to democracy,” among other charming sobriquets that actually encourage violence, while considering themselves presumptively “intelligent” and “virtuous.”

Both presumptions are demonstrably paradoxical in light of recent factual events.

Let’s review some of those events, using this (factual) presumption: elected Democrats must be liberal (at least) to mollify their party’s radical base.

Even though European schools remained open, and the virus proved non-threatening to healthy children, American schools were closed during the COVID panic, and Democrats and Democrat-allied teachers unions resisted reopening them, even though students and academic achievement suffered.

Are the officials who closed schools and the teachers/their unions who prevented them from reopening stupid or evil?

In early April, against Democrat opposition, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act to amend the 1993 National Voter Registration Act to make states require documentation of U.S. citizenship before registering people to vote in federal elections, and to ensure that states remove non-citizens from their voter rolls.

In July, without a single Democrat vote in favor, congressional Republicans passed a “Big Beautiful Bill,” which, among other provisions, prevented the largest tax increase in history by making the 2017 tax cuts permanent, increased the child tax credit for families, ended tax on tips, overtime, and, for most retirees, on Social Security. The bill eliminated waste, fraud, and abuse by ending Medicaid benefits for at least 1.4 million illegal immigrants who were gaming the system, and it expanded health savings accounts, giving Americans greater choice and flexibility in spending their health care dollars.

Polling reveals that at least 75 percent of American voters favor secure elections, lower taxes, and eliminating waste. Members who voted against either bill are stupid, against both, profoundly stupid, especially with midterm elections approaching.

On June 27, all but seven House Democrats voted against a resolution that, in a sane world, would be non-controversial: “Condemning the violent June 2025 riots in Los Angeles, California.”  Isn’t their unwillingness to condemn violence evil? Or is it just stupid?

Left-wing violence had become common even before genuine evil revealed its face in liberals’ reactions to an event that should transcend factions, the brutal assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in front of his wife, small children and a crowd of supporters. Tens of thousands of ghoulish liberals evilly excused and celebrated Kirk’s murder on social media.

“Evil” includes Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D- Somalia), who, in an interview, mocked Kirk’s death, and said people who admired Kirk are “full of ****.”

“Evil” includes every House liberal who noisily disrupted a vote on a resolution to honor Charlie Kirk.

“Evil” includes liberal late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel, who mocked President Donald Trump for honoring Kirk, including his order to fly flags at half-staff. “This is not how an adult grieves the murder of somebody he called a friend. This is how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish, okay?”

“Evil” includes liberals who celebrated a political assassination, but were angered by Kimmel’s temporary suspension, and still think they are decent human beings.

“Evil” includes every liberal who is attempting to deflect from their own side’s rhetorical culpability by accusing conservatives of “trying to make Charlie Kirk a martyr,” something a radicalized liberal assassin with a trans furry (look it up) love interest already did.

Finally, turning to the “dumb” category of political labeling, during President Trump’s March State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress, Democrats deployed weapons-grade childishness, middle school drama club theatrics, and psychotic tantrums that merely illustrated how out of touch they are with the majority of voters who elected the president. One member had to be removed for disruptive behavior.

Cumulatively, the Left’s behaviors suggest Corollaries 1 & 2 to Krauthammer’s Law: 1) “Liberals can be both stupid and evil. 2) Allied liberals who excuse or ignore their side’s demonic behaviors are complicit.”

Contact columnist Jerry Shenk at jshenk2010@gmail.com