Reason Won’t Convince The Left: Use it Anyway [Video]


I recently read this quote attributed to legendary  actor Clint Eastwood,

If you could reason with Democrats, there wouldn’t be any Democrats.

I immediately thought that truer words have never been spoken. This same idea has rolled around in my brain concerning the Left in general for many years and I have wondered why that is so.

Why can’t reason sway a Leftist? Why is it that using reasonable speech to counter a Leftist talking-point is met with verbal, and sometimes beyond verbal, attempts to silence you?

After much consideration and observation of Leftist behavior, I think I have at least a partial answer.

Why Reason is Unconvincing to Leftists

There are several reasons the Left can’t be reasoned with. However, they can be summed up by the elevation of emotion over truth by the devotees of Leftism.

Leftism, unreasonableIt is important to understand that emotions are not inherently unreasonable. For instance, it is not unreasonable to have strong negative emotions toward someone who has harmed you or your loved ones.

However, emotions become unreasonable when they are allowed to dictate beliefs and actions to such an extent that seeking harm to another is the result. This is, in part, why God’s Word rails against seeking vengeance against an enemy.


A specific example of using emotion over reason was analyzed in this journal last year concerning the disgusting behavior of the Left against Justice Brett Kavanaugh. In that drama, the presumption of innocence was tossed aside in favor of a political agenda while smearing an honorable man before Congress.

Moreover, two of the current Democratic candidates for President, Sen. Cory Booker [D-NJ] and Sen. Kamala Harris [D-CA], were exceptionally defamatory and ridiculous at the same time. Recall that the Kavanaugh hearings were where Booker became a self-proclaimed ‘Spartacus.’

Worse, they also did real damage to those who are the vast majority of victims of sexual crimes. Which makes it easier for those who are truly guilty to prey on the innocent.


It is unreasonable to advocate for an emotional response which, if successful, would harm those who they claim are their staunch allies.

The Left today epitomizes and advocates incoherent and unreasonable policy in society with enforcement by the state in a number of areas. The attempt to justify this is full of emotional appeals designed to castigate logic and reason.

Leftism unreasonableThe current press of “transgender rights” into society and law is a perfect example of emotion over reason. Reason would recognize the biological reality of male and female and not accept the concept of ‘gender fluidity.’

The emotional appeals of imagined victims who claim their right to ‘identify’ as any sex they wish anytime they wish are used as attacks against not allowing the mentally disturbed to have their way. The impact of the emotion on some drives them to attempt the patently absurd.

For example, witness the infamous case of a Canadian man who now ‘identifies’ as a woman that wanted to have “her” genitals waxed, but was refused service by a real woman who wasn’t comfortable doing that. He is suing the business on the basis of gender discrimination.

The fact that both high-ranking politicians and ‘gender-challenged’ people will engage in totally unreasonable and even deranged behavior invites an important question. What is their motive, that is, what do they have to gain through this?

The Motive Is Power

Put simply, the motive is power. In the case of the man convinced he is really a woman, the motive will be personal power, specifically power to legally invade the privacy of real women and children.

In some particular people, the personal power of gender ‘identity’ is specific to athletic endeavors. The recent domination of several women’s sports on the high school level is evidence of that.

In some, those of means or already in positions of power, such as politicians, the motive is gaining power over others. The Leftist politicians will say that they should be given more power to be used for the creation of a more perfect, humanistic utopia.

Some of those political figures might truly believe in the Socialist ideal of a man-made paradise on earth. If so, they are also exhibiting unreasonable faith in a system that has never worked despite many, many attempts in the real world.

unreasonable LeftTheir misplaced faith is even more deluded given that there are real-time examples of Socialism’s inherent failure going on around the world today. Venezuela is the most recent prominent example of such yet that does not dissuade the enthusiasts of the Left at all.

This faith of the Left, or as they might call it, “progressivism,” is very much like a religious cult without a real Diety. This false faith is placed in imperfect humans in authority with the expectation that somehow a more perfect government and society will be the result.

The Founders of America did not see humanity as capable of perfecting itself, which is why they placed limits on the power of government in the Constitution. The cult of the Left sees the Constitution very differently and the consequence of adopting their view has been leading steadily toward tyranny in America.

Professor Charles Kessler explains this clearly in a portion of his appearance with Mark Levin a few nights ago. Pay particular attention to the last two minutes of the video for some real enlightenment on the Left’s view of the world.

Kessler says that Leftism is really like a medieval religion with an inquisition, an index of forbidden books and thoughts, and a “moral patrol” to ensure no one reads forbidden books or expresses forbidden thoughts.

All three of those qualities are manifested today by the Left on social media. The “moral patrol” on social media can be called the morality police that put those who express forbidden thoughts into ‘Twitter jail,’ or ‘Facebook jail.’

The inquisition can be seen unfolding through the flurry of hostile ‘tweets’ viciously attacking anyone who disagrees with the Left, especially if they can characterize it as ‘offensive.’ The attacks are consistently low on substance and high on overwhelmingly emotional accusations of ‘racism,’ ‘xenophobia,’ ‘Islamophobia,’ ‘Anti-LBGTQ+,’ etcetera, etcetera, which make up the lexicon of forbidden words and thoughts. 

However, these qualities of Leftism are not unique or restricted to social media. As has been seen particularly in Portland, Oregon with the dangerous antics of Antifa, the Left’s morality police on the street will enforce their decrees with violence against innocents.

It is evident the Left is so entrenched in their completely illogical and unreasonable positions that they can’t be argued out of them. So why should conservatives continue to bring logic and reason to the fore to refute the Left?

Reason Is Still Necessary to Combat the Unreasonable Left

unreasonable LeftistsReason is absolutely necessary as a tool to combat the Left and their agenda, despite the fact that it will not convince a committed Leftist to abandon their faith in the cult of Progressivism. There are three key considerations favoring the use of reason against the unreasonable Left.

First, consider that not all Leftists are equally committed to the cause. Because it takes a large amount of blind faith to completely swallow the illogic of Leftism, there are those among them who can be convinced by solid reasonable evidence.

The evidence for this is found in many places online. Examples include the #walkaway movement filled with testimonies on YouTube and FB and Twitter of former Leftists who have “walked away” from that view, and encourage others to do so as well.

Another example is influential broadcaster Candace Owens, a black woman who was a young believer in the Leftist agenda and became a convert to conservatism a few years ago. She is at the forefront of a multitude of black conservatives expressing themselves with both emotion and reason online, some of whom have recently seen the light of conservativism.

Second, consider that there are uncommitted people who are listening and some are looking for reasons to get out of the middle of the road. In many cases, those people are also getting tired of being run over especially by the strident and incessant clamor of the Left in society.

These are the people who just wanted to live a peaceful, non-political life raising a family and perhaps gaining some relative prosperity in the process. That is until they found out that their kids were being forced to support the delusion of ‘transgender identity’ in the classroom of their public school.

These parents were living and enjoying life and just minded their own business. But now, the Left has begun to push into their own lives and that makes it their business, thus they are listening for ways to combat the Left.

gospel and reasonThird, consider that it is always right to present the truth against falsehood even if the odds seem to be against you. That is the example provided by God in His Word to counter the greatest falsehood of all, the falsehood of hopelessness.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest truth in history which banishes the lie of hopelessness against the reality of sin. All people know and are bothered by the fact that in some way, they are imperfect and incomplete both without and within.

However, not all understand that this condition is really the inherent sin common to all. Some will react with a denial that there is a problem, even going so far as to unreasonably deny the existence of God, and abandoning any hope or effort to find the truth.

By the way, denying the existence of God is an unreasonable position. But that is a subject for another time.

Others will try almost anything to remedy their imperfections both physically and spiritually from cosmetic surgery to psychic “ascended masters,” without success. That leads to a sense of frustration and hopelessness.

However, the gospel presents the truth that there is hope in Jesus Christ and relief from the imperfection and destruction of sin is found for each of us through faith in His sacrifice on the cross. A sacrifice prompted by the perfect love of God to bring hope to humanity.

The truth that as you or I grow in faith, we can with renewed hope see the time when faith comes to completion and we are made perfect in Christ. That hope is one good reason among many to accept the gospel truth.


D.T. Osborn


Featured and Top Image courtesy of yoppy’s Flickr page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image 1 courtesy of Thoth God of Knowledge’s Flickr page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image 2 courtesy of EYE DJ’s Flickr page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image 3 courtesy of Lau Ardelean’s Flickr page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image 4 courtesy of Tomas’ Flickr page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image 5 courtesy of Sharon Tate Soberon’s Flickr page – Creative Commons License

All other sources linked or cited in the text

Originally published in TIL Journal


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