Yesterday, Mad Dog heard Cory Booker at a backyard New Hampshire event.
He told an affecting story about washing the blood of a gunshot victim off his chest with water hot enough to cause enough pain to his skin to deflect the pain he felt inside. Women sobbed. You could hear a pin drop.
Mad Dog was unmoved:
1. It was simply too much, too much drama, too theatrical.
2. It was all about appealing to white suburban women who are all about empathy, compassion and who are moved by "heart rending."
(Some men are, too, but this is a pitch which is focus grouped.)
Not that he was insincere. He was just not what Mad Dog was looking for.
Mad Dog loves Elizabeth Warren, but she shares that fatal earnestness of the Democrat: bleeding heart liberal, oozing concern for the wretched refuse stuff Booker is trying to sell.
Don't get Mad Dog wrong: He loves Emma Lazarus and the yearning to breathe free stuff, but he is looking for someone who can withstand the acid rain of the Trump crowd, who say all that's for losers.
Today, it was different.
At a house party in an elegant Brentwood manse, Amy Kobuchar arrived and ridiculed Trump from start to finish. She did the one thing Trump cannot stand: She made a fool of him, much to the delight of the crowd.
The one thing that makes Trump melt is withering ridicule, laugh out loud, ridicule.
She mentioned that when Trump pulled us out of the climate accord, only Nicaragua and Syria had not signed on. Today both of these countries have signed on--only the US has not. She went through a few stories about floods and fires and asked: Do you really think we don't have climate change? She mentioned a march of scientists who marched with banners that said, "Science matters. But first, peer review."
She said Trump has been riding on the Obama recovery for two years and he has been doing his level best to torpedo the recovery Obama gave us.
Everyone was laughing together. It was cathartic.
From climate change, to healthcare to student debt she said just enough, not too much wonky detail, just broad strokes.
Mad Dog could have listened to her all night.
This is just 4 days after Trump regaled his 10,000 storm troopers in Manchester.
After she finished her stump routine, she took questions, written on slips of paper she pulled from a box.
She pulled out one slip and read it: "How to you defeat a candidate of charisma with policy?"
She laughed. "Well, I think I have plenty of charisma."
She had already proven that.
He told an affecting story about washing the blood of a gunshot victim off his chest with water hot enough to cause enough pain to his skin to deflect the pain he felt inside. Women sobbed. You could hear a pin drop.
Mad Dog was unmoved:
1. It was simply too much, too much drama, too theatrical.
2. It was all about appealing to white suburban women who are all about empathy, compassion and who are moved by "heart rending."
(Some men are, too, but this is a pitch which is focus grouped.)
Not that he was insincere. He was just not what Mad Dog was looking for.
Mad Dog loves Elizabeth Warren, but she shares that fatal earnestness of the Democrat: bleeding heart liberal, oozing concern for the wretched refuse stuff Booker is trying to sell.
Don't get Mad Dog wrong: He loves Emma Lazarus and the yearning to breathe free stuff, but he is looking for someone who can withstand the acid rain of the Trump crowd, who say all that's for losers.
Today, it was different.
At a house party in an elegant Brentwood manse, Amy Kobuchar arrived and ridiculed Trump from start to finish. She did the one thing Trump cannot stand: She made a fool of him, much to the delight of the crowd.
The one thing that makes Trump melt is withering ridicule, laugh out loud, ridicule.
She mentioned that when Trump pulled us out of the climate accord, only Nicaragua and Syria had not signed on. Today both of these countries have signed on--only the US has not. She went through a few stories about floods and fires and asked: Do you really think we don't have climate change? She mentioned a march of scientists who marched with banners that said, "Science matters. But first, peer review."
She said Trump has been riding on the Obama recovery for two years and he has been doing his level best to torpedo the recovery Obama gave us.
Everyone was laughing together. It was cathartic.
From climate change, to healthcare to student debt she said just enough, not too much wonky detail, just broad strokes.
Mad Dog could have listened to her all night.
This is just 4 days after Trump regaled his 10,000 storm troopers in Manchester.
After she finished her stump routine, she took questions, written on slips of paper she pulled from a box.
She pulled out one slip and read it: "How to you defeat a candidate of charisma with policy?"
She laughed. "Well, I think I have plenty of charisma."
She had already proven that.
Glad to hear that she did well in this setting but I still remember when she had the chance to take out Kavanaugh in his nationally televised Supreme Court hearing and let him off the hook! We need someone who is not going to fumble such chances against Trump or any of his spineless syncophants!
ReplyDeleteAnon,
ReplyDeleteFunny, in the car ride back, the three women who rode with me all pointed to her performance on the committee as evidence she was tough and successful.
Didn't watch the Kavanaugh hearing myself.
Mad Dog
And you wonder why the Democrats lose!
ReplyDeleteMad Dog and Anon,
ReplyDeleteWell, have to say I concur with the women in the car-I thought Klobuchar's portion of the Kavanaugh hearing was not only one of the most revealing, but the most damaging to him as well. It was during her questioning, more than any other, that Kavanaugh demonstrated that he lacked the temperament and self restraint one would expect in a member of SCOTUS. He must have realized this was the case also-or those advising him did-since he apologized pretty quickly for his responses. Despite his petulant, boorish behavior, Klobuchar never lost her cool and the contrast was certainly not favorable to Kavanaugh. Anon- I'm not certain what else you would have had her do in her brief window of time to "take him out".
As to Booker and Klobuchar as candidates, well they are opposites sides of the coin when it comes to strategy. Booker would like us to join him in following our better angels and take the high road. He can at times-as when describing the white members of the community who helped his parents expose racial discrimination in housing-be inspirational. Yet despite his many references to his football career-he doesn't seem as tough or for that matter as funny as Klobuchar. One could see her lancing Trump with her humor in a debate. She's intelligent, well prepared and quick witted, but I can't say thus far I've found her overly inspiring. Still, they both are contenders for my vote along with my current first choice, Elizabeth Warren.
Maud
Ms. Maud,
ReplyDeleteAt this point, thinking about the primary, we should be voting our heart, even if we think our choice is not a winner.
So far, without having heard her close up, I'm with you on Warren. But she has some glaring flaws: too much detail, rigidity on single payor and no commercial insurance, poorly thought out forgiveness of student loans.
Still watching and evaluating.
Anon has suggested Klobuchar could have responded better to Kavnaugh when he taunted her with, "Haven't you ever drunk yourself blind?" with "Ah, but Mr. Kavanaugh, I am not seeking a seat as a justice on the Supreme Court."