Democrats' Strategic Use of Smear Campaigns to Maintain Political Power
Source: Shawn Fleetwood. "Swalwell Finds Dems' Smear Machine Will Do Anything For Power." April 13, 2026. thefederalist.com
The Gist
The author argues that Democrats don't really care about sexual assault allegations - they just use them as weapons when it's politically convenient. When Swalwell's scandal hurt their chances in California's governor race, they threw him under the bus to protect their power.
Conclusion
The Democratic Party operates a calculated smear machine that strategically deploys allegations against politicians (including their own members) to maintain and acquire political power
Premises
- Democrats quickly and uniformly demanded Swalwell end his gubernatorial campaign but notably did not call for his resignation from Congress
- The timing of the allegations' release appears strategic, coinciding with California's top-two primary system where Swalwell and other Democrats were splitting votes and potentially allowing two Republicans to advance
- Democrats and their media allies likely knew about these allegations before they became public but chose when to release them
- Swalwell previously used similar tactics against Trump and Kavanaugh, demanding they be believed guilty without due process
- The party's selective application of standards shows they prioritize political advantage over consistent principles
Assumptions
- Political parties have significant control over when damaging information about candidates becomes public
- The timing of scandal revelations is rarely coincidental in politics
- Democrats prioritize electoral strategy over protecting individual party members
- Media outlets coordinate with political parties on the timing of damaging stories
- California's primary system creates specific strategic incentives for eliminating candidates