Thread by @JewhadiTM

.@IIhanMN's Rise Demonstrates What’s So Twisted About Identity Politics thefederalist.com/2019/01/23/iih…

In the few short weeks she has represented Minnesota’s fifth district in the U.S. Congress, Democrat IIhan Omar has become a controversial figure.

She smeared Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) over baseless accusations, garnered national recognition for wearing a hijab in Congress, smeared the Covington kids over baseless allegations, and has already been placed in a leadership position on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

This inexperienced congresswoman has created a stir despite accomplishing little so far, and her win demonstrates the epitome of identity politics. A close look at her election and subsequent quick rise to fame exemplifies the cautions that accompany such a mistake.

Folks elected for their carefully spun biography instead of their accomplishments represent a troubling, growing trend. I spoke to Gregg Peppin, a Republican consultant based in Minnesota, who worked in the Minnesota capitol for almost 20 years.

He noted the fifth district is home not only to many Somali-Americans, who voted for Omar on that alone, but also home to “limousine liberals” who live in and around Minneapolis: “Identity politics is why they get up in the morning.”

Tens of thousands of people voted for Omar just because of her sex and race. “There was a robust primary, but Democrats were committed to identity politics. As many boxes as they were going to check, they did that—no one else had the story Omar did,” Peppin said.

Democrats tend to lean towards identity politics. This Democratic pollster explains the political usefulness of this strategy: “A niche in a crowded primary means developing a unique selling proposition and identifying a target audience for your message.

In a Democratic primary, the targets often are identity groups — part of what President Obama calls the Ascending Democratic Coalition of millennials, minority voters and women.”

What identity politics lacks in accomplishment, it makes up for in photo shoots and memes. But this isn’t the only reason to elect a politician, or the best way to affect change in politics in America.

Omar’s first few weeks in office help explain why identity politics is such a problem. Immediately after her election, Omar announced the first thing she would do was work toward a new congressional rule allowing female head coverings.

Sure enough, in early January, Omar’s prodding prompted such a rule and for the first time in nearly 181 years, head coverings are now allowed.

From a religious liberty perspective, this is certainly understandable, even praiseworthy. But Omar’s record doesn’t reflect someone who supports religious freedom for everyone. If anything, she’s discriminatory of other religions, particularly the Jewish faith.

So this wasn’t a crusade for religious freedom, it was a crusade for her own Muslim religion.

In the end, identity politics boils the blend of personality, constituents, and the role of the Congress, down to one very simple thing: How does this person make us feel about ourselves, rather than what can this person do to preserve America’s ideals?

As Peppin said, “Is Omar going to live in progressive infamy? Or does she want to actually roll up her sleeves and get something done? Do identity politicians want to be effective, or do they just want to be a loud voice?”