Pope Bob

 Wow. Did not see that coming: an American Pope. 

There is a natural (and fallacious) instinct to squeeze the new Pontiff into the frame of American politics. He does, indeed, have opinions on issues that are roiling American politics. Some of those positions are what we might call liberal and others conservative. He is compassionate towards the poor, towards migrants, towards other faith traditions. He is less understanding of modern sexual mores, divorce and LGBTQ issues.

The result from both side (bothsides?) is to wedge him into one camp or the other. Because he called out JD Vance's poor understanding of Catholic theology, he's actual - as Laura Loomer screeched - a "WOKE MARXIST POPE." The problem is that he is neither and both. 

The fact that conservatives are freaking out more than liberals are gloating is indicative of the current dynamic of the American Right. There can be no distance between anyone and Trump if you want remain in good standing within the cult that is the contemporary GOP. Pope Bob/Leo is, in many ways, a conventional Catholic in his embrace of some aspects of economic justice and the dignity of all, while also being pretty retrograde on things pertaining to penises, vaginas and how they interact. They simply cannot tolerate heterodoxy.

There is a smaller concern that various left of central people who are currently embracing Bob/Leo will turn on him, when he inevitably behaves in a bog standard papal way. 

However, I think if we want to look at an important dynamic that I think will really define the next decade in American political life, we have to look at whether we - as in Democrats and the Democrat Adjacent - have to expand the tent. We especially have to expand the tent in places where it might be hard to win on the national "brand."  Embracing someone like Pope Leo makes sense, even though his position on abortion is awful. 

Trump and Republicans did have some success painting Democrats as a party that cared MORE about Trans Rights than they cared about "you" but that wasn't actually true. Fighting falsehoods can be tricky, especially with "vibes" against you. However, while I do think that Democrats will benefit from the absolute shitshow that is President TeeVee's maladministration, they do need to grow the party.

Embracing someone like Leo - rather than reject him like conservatives are doing - is one way to expand that tent.