What a lame premise. Yes, there is a superficial resemblance between Eric Garner and Cliven Bundy in that they both defied authority and taxes are part of the story. But unlike Beinart, or more precisely, unlike Beinart’s conservative strawmen, most conservatives are able to see through the superficiality of it pretty easily.
If this had been a white guy and if it turned out he had a rap sheet a mile long like Garner, including eight previous citations for the offense he was arrested for, and if it had been the local community that had asked the police to do something about his nuisance behavior, and if he had resisted arrest thereby invoking a forceful response from the police, and if his poor health were a factor in his death, then you would see pretty much the same response you’re seeing from most conservatives about Gardner.
Unlike cheap point makers like Beinart, conservatives try to deal honestly with reality.
I like your summation.
They will never understand that we don’t defend criminals no matter what color they are. And by “criminal”, I mean in the traditional accepted sense, not some conservative who was targeted by the IRS for their political beliefs.