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Bailey in 2017: “The attempted extermination of the Jews of World War II doesn’t even compare on a shadow of the life that has been lost with abortion since its legalization”

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* Arno Rosenfeld at Forward…

Darren Bailey, the Republican nominee for Illinois governor, said in a video posted to Facebook in 2017 that the Holocaust “doesn’t even compare” to abortion on the scale of human atrocities.

“I believe that abortion is one of the greatest atrocities of our day and I believe it’s one of the greatest atrocities probably forever,” Bailey said in the video. “The attempted extermination of the Jews of World War II doesn’t even compare on a shadow of the life that has been lost with abortion since its legalization.”

Bailey made the comments about abortion during a Facebook livestream posted during his successful campaign for the state house, when he defeated a seven-term incumbent. He cited Psalms 139 as evidence that God believes life begins at conception, and said that if elected he would “not compromise” on abortion.

Bailey’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

Join us now as we go live to discuss the House Bill 40! 🇺🇸 #RestoreIllinois

Posted by Darren Bailey for Governor on Thursday, October 12, 2017

Relevant comments start at about the six-minute mark.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 6:50 pm

Comments

The forced unforced errors of this guy, I swear.

Comment by Hello Friend Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 6:59 pm

My God.

Just when I thought I’d lost my ability to be shocked by these people…

– MrJM

Comment by MisterJayEm Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 7:01 pm

Is it possible to get negative votes in the north shore?

Comment by Arsenal Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 7:03 pm

Again…

I don’t identify with Bailey, his ilk, and I do mean… ilk… and this party, in this state and nationally… I don’t identify with this base or who they are.

To this, disgusting.

I can’t imagine this video is “new” to those whom did oppo research on Bailey… I also can’t imagine this helps Bailey, as I can’t imagine this won’t be in an ad in the coming weeks.

There’s a vile and disgusting part too, this idea that Bailey continues to have this Christian underpinning.

Baileys defeat, in my eyes, is something far greater to a greater good for this state.

There’s something to separate church and state and comparing the holocaust, sickening.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 7:37 pm

With his opponent being Jewish this is even more sick.

Comment by Big Dipper Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 7:56 pm

Most of my fellow Christians, I suspect, will be voting for Sen. Bailey. I’m not. He could agree with me on every issue, and I still wouldn’t vote for him. I refuse to vote for anyone who uses their faith for political gain. I would rather guess the person is a Christian and be right, than for the person to use their faith for their own personal gain. To all of you who read this who are not Christians, please don’t judge us by Darren Bailey.

Matt 6:5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.”

Comment by Fivegreenleaves Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 7:56 pm

Interestingly, the only synagogue I could find in Bailey’s district is the Mattoon Jewish Community Center. It’s notable for being the smallest Reform Jewish congregation in North America. I wonder if Bailey has ever been.

Comment by vern Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 8:09 pm

Ummm Yikes

Comment by Hot Taeks Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 8:21 pm

Makes sense when you think that a fertilized egg has more rights than a living breathing human. what a horrible man Bailey is.

Comment by Amalia Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 8:25 pm

Violates a simple rule of politics to never compare anything to the holocaust or Hitler — and It’s wacky on bunch of other levels to me. But if you actually believe abortion is murder it’s an intellectually consistent argument.

Comment by Telly Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 8:34 pm

@FiveGreenLeaves

I would bet “Christians” in Illinois skew toward Bailey only very slightly.

If you are using 5he term to refer to white, Evangelical Protestants then you are correct. But Black Protestants will break heavily to Pritzker most likely, and Catholics will be pretty even split or maybe even lean slightly to Pritzker.

Catholics have not forgotten that the KKK wanted to eradicate them too, and that many Evangelicals do not consider Catholics to be Christians.

To the Post:

Gee, I wonder why Chicagoland’s business leaders are reluctantto endorse Bailey?

Dear Reporters:

Please do not write another silly piece claiming Darren Bailey “Apologizes.”

“I am sorry I got caught” is not an apology. And please, not another “You know me, you know what’s in my heart.” Your words tell us what’s in your heart, Senator.

If he does not actually accept responsibility for what he said, the harm he and other antisemites cause, it is okay to write “refused to apologize, and instead dodged responsibility.”

You will feel better, i swear.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 8:58 pm

I feel like there should be some sort of “non-apology” betting pool, BTW.

I am looking for a Negative Campaign/Ancient History/Out of Context triple-play.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 9:00 pm

I’m not surprised that Darren Bailey has previously opined this position. It is consistent with everything that Darren Bailey is and everything that Darren Bailey will be.

There is a subset of people who will repeatedly make this argument and never see the issue that others may have with this argument. I think it is important for us to recognize that as Darren Bailey calls for the end to basic human rights for more than half of the population of our State that in a different time Darren Bailey would be hook line and sinker on board with whatever the most popular religious or racial bigotry was. He has aligned himself with political allies who quote Hitler and declare war against the People of the United States.

Darren Bailey is unfit for public office. Darren Bailey serves as a reminder of how quickly our society can pivot to committing the kinds of atrocities that right wing lunatics have visited upon our civilization in the past.

And he will do it all the while insisting on his own piety and devotion to a higher power that licenses his hate.

Darren Bailey is what the Illinois GOP is. Darren Bailey is what they have become, who they appeal to, and who they deserve to be represented on the ballot.

They let the Nazis in and now they have to deal with it.

Comment by Candy Dogood Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 9:28 pm

Bailey wants a theocracy plain and simple. He espouses Christian doctrine but does not live it obviously. I hope Prizker crushes him Old Testament style.

Comment by JS Mill Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 9:41 pm

I said I would never vote for Pritzker again, but sheesh, what chive do we have?

Comment by DuPage Moderate Tuesday, Aug 2, 22 @ 6:57 am

1,390,690.

That’s the number of votes Alan Keyes received against Barack Obama. Bailey may give Keyes’ ignominy a run for it.

Comment by Phineas Tuesday, Aug 2, 22 @ 8:04 am

Not that I never intended to vote for Bailey, but this is appalling. I’m Jewish and would not be here today had my parents not emigrated from Russia/Ukraine 100 years ago.

Comment by Retired SURS Employee Tuesday, Aug 2, 22 @ 8:08 am

Just an ignorant thing to say…good God

Comment by Loop Lady Tuesday, Aug 2, 22 @ 8:08 am

Think JB knew about this before he spent $50 million to make him his opponent? I’m betting yes. Politics are funny

Comment by Billions Tuesday, Aug 2, 22 @ 8:11 am

I will be sure to visit the ashes of my Holocaust survivor grandmother and tell her that her family’s suffering was nothing according to Bailey.

Comment by wowie Tuesday, Aug 2, 22 @ 8:18 am

@FiveGreenLeaves It depends if they are Christians or merely “Christians.” Bailey likely has the “Christian” vote sewed up; the votes of actual followers of Christ, maybe not so much.

Comment by Crispy Tuesday, Aug 2, 22 @ 8:43 am

This is in no way an “unforced error.” This is Bailey’s unvarnished belief. He does tell us who he is.

Comment by walker Tuesday, Aug 2, 22 @ 8:52 am

Darren Bailey believes that he has the moral higher ground here. And because he believes that so strongly, he has no qualms in making the most vile comparison imaginable. It is a perverse view on what it means to be a Christian.

Comment by Pundent Tuesday, Aug 2, 22 @ 8:52 am

Reprehensible. Nothing can or should ever be compared to the Holocaust.

Comment by phocion Tuesday, Aug 2, 22 @ 8:57 am

Sadly this view resonates with at least 35% of Illinois voters. He probably will lose in a landslide but scary to think that as the Republican nominee it is theoretically possible he might win.

Comment by Common Sense Tuesday, Aug 2, 22 @ 8:59 am

People like Bailey make these types of remarks when they believe there will never be electoral accountability for their words. at the time DB was speaking to people in a homogenous district that has very little diversity of thought. Perhaps he never fathomed that politically his words would be scrutinized at the state level, he likely believed that state rep. from no where eastern illinois was the highest station he could achieve in politics.

I would argue his lack of political foresight proves how unworthy he is of the office he is running for, and the nominee title he has already achieved. And DB of 2017 probably believed that as well.

bottom line- these words are disgusting. he will lose, and he deserves it.

Comment by MaddyMoon Tuesday, Aug 2, 22 @ 9:00 am

With 3 months to go, there are going to be even more repulsive things coming out of the mouth of someone who founded and runs a place called “Full Armor Christian Academy”.

Never, ever fall for the “not a real christian” excuses. I have yet to see a single religious leader speak out about these supposed ‘not real christians’ acting in their name.

This IS the american christian faith of today.

The lack of any pushback is no different today than the lack of any pushback against the abuses going on when I attended a christian school for 8 years many years ago.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Tuesday, Aug 2, 22 @ 9:08 am

==He cited Psalms 139 as evidence that God believes life begins at conception==

And yet approximately 15% of pregnancies result in miscarriage. Those must not count in Bailey’s worldview.

Comment by Jocko Tuesday, Aug 2, 22 @ 9:31 am

I imagine that if Bailey thinks like that now, if elected, he would feel unleashed.

Comment by up2now Tuesday, Aug 2, 22 @ 9:48 am

@TheInvisibleMan it’s not an “excuse”; if anything, it’s an indictment. Those of us who make that distinction are basing it on the Matthew 7:21 definition, not the “I went to Christian school” definition.

Comment by Crispy Tuesday, Aug 2, 22 @ 10:01 am

On a strictly “lives lost” basis, Bailey isn’t wrong. Holocaust estimates show up to 11,000,000 people died over a 4 year span. WHO says that “around 73,000,000 induced abortions take place worldwide EACH YEAR”. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/abortion

Comment by Southpaw Tuesday, Aug 2, 22 @ 10:22 am

===On a strictly “lives lost” basis, Bailey isn’t wrong===

- Southpaw -

With respect,

In your opinion, using the Holocaust as a benchmark, merely an accident to numbers or an opportunity to signal folks… and “other folks”… where Bailey is… “with them”?

Here’s the thing, for me.

Like Mary Miller, examples and ideas that need “clarity” by inserting National Socialist bearings, and those bearings are to be lessened… it’s more about who the audience the speaker wants instead of what the speaker wants “heard”

If we are arguing “not wrong”, then Bailey has already inserted the vile as acceptable

With respect.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Aug 2, 22 @ 10:30 am

==On a strictly “lives lost” basis==

And yet the god of Noah and Sodom, gets a pass on miscarriages, plagues, crusades, and all natural disasters.

Comment by Jocko Tuesday, Aug 2, 22 @ 10:32 am

= I have yet to see a single religious leader speak out about these supposed ‘not real christians’ acting in their name. =

https://www.christiansagainstchristiannationalism.org/endorsers

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/08/01/florida-abortion-law-religion-desantis/

https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/national-council-of-churches-statement-on-anti-semitism/

Comment by JoanP Tuesday, Aug 2, 22 @ 11:34 am

@Southpaw -

Darren Bailey usec the words “Doesn’t even compare.”

These are the words of someone who believes that abortion is an atrocity and The Holocaust was not.

These are the words of someone who believes with all of their heart, if killing Hitler was okay, then isn’t killing abortion doctors okay?

I hope that helps.

Comment by Thomas Paine Tuesday, Aug 2, 22 @ 12:00 pm

==He cited Psalms 139 as evidence that God believes life begins at conception==

Two things I find with biblical references: author and context. Just because David mentions being knitted in his mothers womb doesn’t really equate to life begins at conception. If I want advice on war or being hunted by your father, I will listen to what David has to say. The mechanics of embryonic development, not so much. His son had more to say about re-splitting developed embryonic cells, if you catch my drift.

When scripture is spouted my direction, I always ask: are those God’s or Jesus’ words? Generally the person doesn’t know.

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Bailey in 2017: “The attempted extermination of the Jews of World War II doesn’t even compare on a shadow of the life that has been lost with abortion since its legalization”

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