This Is Why Saying "Genocide" Is Important
Some litmus tests are necessary.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear is a rising star in the Democratic Party. And for good reason. Since his close election victory in 2023, Beshear has earned praise for finding a way to win a tough race without sacrificing progressive values. At a time when every Democrat was competing to throw the most trans people under the bus, Beshear vetoed legislation banning gender-affirming care for minors. He’s also outlawed racial hairstyle discrimination and vetoed a bill allowing source-of-income housing discrimination, barring landlords from refusing to rent to low-income, disabled, and elderly tenants. By leaning into his Christian faith, Andy Beshear has built a brand of progressive Christianity that contrasts with the dogmatism of conservative theology. It’s a welcome message with real political potential. Unfortunately, Andy Beshear makes one exception for his universal humanism. You can probably guess what it is.
During a recent interview with Politico’s Dasha Burn, Beshear was asked if he thought Israel committed genocide in Gaza. Rather than answer the question, Beshear dodged, dismissing the term “genocide” as “one of those litmus tests.”
Burns: “Some of your fellow Democrats have called Israel’s actions in Gaza ‘genocide.’ Do you agree with that?”
Beshear: “That’s becomeing one of those new litmus tests we said we would never do as a party again. It’s trying to throw out a word and are you going to raise your hand or are you not going to?”
First, this answer indicates Andy Beshear is seriously considering running for president, if not already fully committed. When Beshear said, “Are you going to raise your hand or not?” he was referring to questions in Democratic primary debates in which candidates are asked to raise their hand if they agree with the moderator’s statement. It’s a perfectly fair way to ask a question, but politicians like Beshear hate it because it gives them no chance to squirm and sidestep. “Raise your hand if XYZ” is quite literally one of the only times our media holds politicians to a straight yes or no answer. If asked to raise his hand if he thought Israel committed genocide, Andy Beshear would be forced to pick a side, which would cause him problems. If he raised his hand, he’d be attacked by the Israel lobby. If he didn’t, he would be discredited in the eyes of Democratic voters, who overwhelmingly think ‘genocide’ accurately describes Israel’s actions. (He’d also lose many general election votes, as over half of independent voters also think Israel committed genocide.) Knowing his response to this one question could determine the fate of his political career, Beshear is trying to discredit the “Raise your hand if you think Israel committed genocide?” question years in advance. Personally, I would just give the correct answer. It seems simpler.
Which brings me to my second point. Beshear hand-waves away the issue of genocide as a “litmus test,” the catch-all term used for questions centrist Democrats don’t want to answer. To be fair to the Kentucky governor, he’s right. When we ask politicians, “Did Israel commit genocide?” it is a litmus test — one he should pass with flying colors.
