Elections, Jamie O, Political Crack

Dems Gettin’ Feisty

Dark Brandon

I like the Obamas. I really do. I say this with the full realization that Barack’s first term was not the best (the second term was much better) and some of that was due to the reality of racism in America as he had to walk on eggshells, and some of that was too much Wall Street. But some of that was too much wanting to kowtow to the other side of the aisle.

Michelle famously said “when they go low we go high” at the 2016 Democratic Convention and everyone roared and high-fived and declared those of us who stated that this kind of thinking was a bit naive to be vanquished. This continued into the Trump years, although I noticed that as his term progressed, people who clung to that were more and more becoming like this:

Thankfully, there are indications that the Democrats have stopped striking an old-timey boxing pose while the Trumper politicians come at us like a drunk Tasmanian Devil. Indications that the Democratic Party is ready for the fight that is coming next year, and are already clapping back and hard.

Early signs that mainstream Dems have had it began with an exasperated Biden calling Trump a clown during the first of their 2020 debates, which was not so much a snappy comeback as it was a statement of fact. Trump’s behavior was unhinged. Ever the even-handed distillers of the moment, many in the mainstream media decried this as incivility on both sides, which was…insane. But anyone who watched the debate saw that Biden was not wrong.

That led to the creation of a meme called Dark Brandon. This originally started out as a joke, an alter-ego of the president’s normally jovial nice-guy demeanor, and quickly became an official persona promoted by the White House. One ad featured Biden with laser eyes, and it read “Tax cuts for yacht owners? Good luck with that, champ.”

Lately, the no-shits-given version of Democrats seems to be rising, and I am here for it. I agree with Former GOP Strategist Turned Lib Podcast Smartass Rick Wilson. The GOP is going to get deeply ugly in 2024, and calls for civility will get ground into hamburger by the MAGAs.

They are ridiculous, so treat them as ridiculous. A few examples of this already happening:

Secretary Mayor Pete Buttigieg pulled an “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear that can you repeat that dumb shit one more time” on MAGA CongressCretin Doug LaMalfa during a hearing this week. LaMalfa thought he got off a good one about climate change being a hoax but Secretary Mayor Pete beat him about the head and face with his own dumbassery:

Broot-tal.

Then we have the OG in Not Having It with Republican Idiots, my home state’s senator, Very Smart Giant John Fetterman. There is a kerfuffle about Fetterman wearing his hoodie and shorts to work, which Senator Chuck Schumer okayed but has led to wailing concern trolling from Republicans such as Marjorie Taylor-Greene about how he is demeaning our institutions. Yes, the same people who called January 6 “legitimate political discourse” are worried about Fetterman’s Pennsylvania Casual dress.  Fetterman’s reply to Marge referenced the obscene photos she showed of Hunter Biden in a recent Congressional hearing, and it was glorious.

In an example of a meme using a meme, Dark Brandon broke out the classic “Heartbreaking: Worst Person” meme to dunk on Milquetoast House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s failed leadership.

So, is this nothing more than something to make the base feel good? I would argue it is significant. People underestimate the motivating power of feeling that politicians are actually trying to fight. Yelling “Vote Harder” falls flat if you seem wishy-washy once elected.

Also, as Wilson said, this idea of reaching out and trying to convince the other side is long gone. So far gone I cannot believe I even bother to say it anymore, since it’s a long-true assumption.

In addition, letting the GOP hammer away at us and “flooding the zone with shit” (aka the Steve Bannon strategy) without answering is not a good idea. And answering it the right way, by aggressively treating it as nonsense and then pointing to real accomplishments as a contrast, seems like it would be a winning strategy. Glad to see the Democrats are taking this tact, and look forward to more of it.

The last word goes to Lily Allen.