Here’s an easy lesson for rising political hopefuls to draw from Francesca Hong’s failed bid to be Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial nominee: Don’t demonize Thanksgiving.

Hong, a chef, state legislator and democratic socialist, was the clear front-runner in the Democratic primary race until a social media comment she posted six years ago, now deleted, turned up — in the way that old tweets often do to embarrass political candidates.

You didn’t have to be a right-winger to slap your forehead, shake your head and condemn cheap shots at a holiday long cherished by countless families yet dismissed by Hong as a glorification of colonialism.

She backpedaled on those past remarks, but one way or another her polling lead evaporated, and last Tuesday she lost to a moderate opponent, David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive.

Although Hong had campaigned on a platform that no doubt appealed to many Wisconsin voters, by the end she was beleaguered by questions about Turkey Day and whether she still believed in defunding the police.

Such left-wing stars as U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., refrained from endorsing Hong, despite campaigning for other prominent progressives, including Michigan U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed.

Such hesitancy about Hong and her hot-button holiday heat signaled a renewed appreciation of moderated rhetoric even among the progressives in pursuit of restoring unity to the Democratic Party and calming the concerns of independent voters.

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