Commentary: As a suburban mom, I find Biden’s Antifa dismissal alarming

Suburban mothers want safety and security and are unlikely to support a candidate who doesn’t strongly condemn Antifa and other radical groups.

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Joe Biden had a lot to say in the last debate about banning oil and how no one lost their healthcare under Obamacare, but one critical point was missing from his performance — does he stand with the large numbers of women and suburban voters who oppose violence by Antifa?

In the two presidential debates, Biden has failed to condemn the violence committed by left-wing, Antifa members. In fact, he dismissed them in the first debate as only an “idea, not an organization.”

As much as the mainstream media and Biden would like us to think otherwise, the people hurt by rioters across the country aren’t imaginary and there is willful organization behind the violence playing out in front of our homes and businesses. The violence should concern every mother who cares about keeping our neighborhoods safe.

Perhaps Biden would like to call Antifa “an idea” to Ann Dorn, widow of David Dorn, the retired police officer who was murdered after responding to an alarm that went off at his friend’s St. Louis pawnshop.

Suburban moms like me see through Democrats’ charade and know there is more to the violence than meets the eye. We can’t be lied to for votes. The safety of our children will always come first and it’s clear to me law and order isn’t Biden’s priority.

Even in the reporting that downplays Antifa’s hand in the riots, there is evidence linking the two. Take, for example, 18-year-old Vincent Eovacious, who was charged in Massachusetts with possession of a Molotov cocktail and told his arresting officer, he was “with the anarchist group,” according to Reuters.

As Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Special Agent in Charge Kelly Brady said of the young man, “This defendant was in possession of several Molotov cocktails and appeared intent to use them as lethal devices against police officers while they were protecting the rights of protesters.”

Michael Reinoehl, an anti-fascist activist recently killed in a standoff with police officers, was under investigation for allegedly murdering Portland protestor Aaron J. Danielson. An Instagram account that apparently belonged to the suspect features a post that reads, “I am 100% ANTIFA all the way! I am willing to fight for my brothers and sisters,” reports the Wall Street Journal.

Investigations into Antifa are ongoing but it’s undeniable many of those behind the violence and looting that’s cost American businessmen and women more than $2 billion and priceless human lives are part of a broader network of political agitators.

As Attorney General Bill Barr said last month, “We have evidence that Antifa and other similar extremist groups, as well as actors of a variety of different political persuasions have been instigating and participating in the violent activity.”

Violent protests, organized or not, are unacceptable behavior on our streets and that Biden is denying the web of criminal agitators is reason enough for me to vote against him, and I imagine other suburban moms like me will follow suit.

Don’t underestimate how Biden’s extreme remarks will influence the votes of suburban women. Politicians relentlessly target women like me because they know female suburbanite voters often flip parties depending on individual candidates.

Suburban mothers want safety and security and are unlikely to support a candidate who doesn’t strongly condemn Antifa and other radical groups. In 2016, Hillary Clinton took suburban women for granted, and they swung to President Trump, as he won suburbia by five points, largely due to his solid numbers among women.

Democrats learned from Clinton’s errors in 2018 and aimed their messaging at suburban mothers, propelling Democrats to victory in many competitive House districts. These suburban female voters like me will probably be the deciding factor in the 2020 election, and we care about the wellbeing of our families.

I believe in the American right to peacefully protest, but I believe looting and rioting aren’t a form of peaceful protest, whatever the Liberal Left might say. As America continues to be consumed by violent riots, many suburban women are rejecting politicians who won’t support our brave men and women in uniform and condemn violence in any form.

We want safe communities where we can raise our children without fear of violence and indoctrination. That is why President Trump is winning several critical Wisconsin suburbs by close to twenty-five points. Doreen, a suburban woman in Minnesota, for example, begrudgingly voted for President Trump in 2016 but is enthusiastically supporting him in 2020 because she believes Democrats don’t care about law and order.

“They even had to board up here in Wayzata for the [George Floyd] protests, and that was really sad. I think the whole state will go red in Minnesota for the first time in forever.” More and more women like Doreen are voting for President Trump as Biden continues to appease the radical left.

Biden’s debate answers should deeply trouble suburban voters who want safety and security, but whose communities will likely receive funding cuts to law enforcement and, consequently, more organized unrest in their communities if they elect Joe Biden.

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Jessica Anderson is president and founder of Moms for Safe Neighborhoods. This article was first published at Townhall.  
Jessica Anderson