Republicans haven’t exactly been subtle about claiming the idea of “freedom” as their own. When a group of right-wing GOP lawmakers decided to create their own radical faction, for example, they called it the House Freedom Caucus.
As Florida Governor Ron DeSantis prepared for a failed national campaign, he called his state “a citadel of freedom,” “the linchpin of freedom,” and “the vanguard of freedom.” He titled his memoir “The Courage to Be Free” and called his budget a “Framework for Freedom.”
But if “freedom” is a word the Republicans stole from the Democrats, then the Harris/Walz campaign and their allies are stealing it back.
When Minnesota Governor Tim Walz accepted his party’s nomination for vice president, he explicitly said that “freedom” was “what this election is about.” From the transcript:
“When Republicans use the word ‘freedom,’ they mean that government should be free to invade your doctor’s office. Corporations, free to pollute your air and water. And banks, free to take advantage of customers. But when we Democrats talk about freedom, we mean the freedom to create a better life for yourself and the people you love. The freedom to make your own decisions about health care. And yes, the freedom for your children to go to school without worrying about being shot in the hallway.”
The Minnesotan wasn’t alone. Earlier in the evening, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro emphasized a similar message, explaining that Donald Trump “wraps himself in the blanket of freedom, what he’s offering is no freedom at all.”
“It is not freedom to tell our children what books they can read,” he added. “And it is not freedom to tell women what they can do with their bodies. It is certainly not freedom to say, ‘You can vote, but he gets to pick the winner.’ That is not freedom.”
Shortly afterward, convention attendees were shown a new video from the Harris campaign. The title was, “We Believe in Freedom.”
It ties into a convention where Beyoncé’s “Freedom” has been a musical mainstay of the entire event, and when Walz ended his convention speech, it was Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” blaring over the speakers.
All of which is to say that Democrats are not just trying to change the public conversation, they are also starting a fight over the mantle of “freedom” itself. As today’s convention proves, it’s a fight the party thinks it can win.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
