Re: Badass

I’ve had a remarkable exchange with an acquaintance over Valerie Plame’s campaign ad that I posted yesterday.  He was MOST offended by the ad, first complaining about her “careless driving” (while demonstrating CIA driver skills training) and then saying he could never vote for her because she was “wasting fossil fuels” and “making climate change worse” by driving a Camaro backwards.  No shit, that’s what he actually said.  He’s a Warren/Buttigieg aficionado, so that tells you something about the mind set.  Then, he actually suggested that she should have been driving a Tesla in the ad.  I spit my sweet tea all over my keyboard when I burst out laughing at that, but then came to the conclusion that we’re f*cked if this is the mindset of liberal Dems.

Can you imagine the derision if Plame had been driving a Tesla while showing that she’s a skilled, trained CIA operative?  It would be just like the memes of Obama riding a bike:

Or Michael Dukakis in a tank:

There are dozens of examples of GOP derision of Dems as latte sipping pantywaists.  No, it’s not fair, and it’s not honest, but politics ain’t beanbag.  Liberal Dems need to understand that Democratic candidates in red states don’t need THEIR votes, they need the votes of people who usually vote Republican and who are unaffiliated.  You’re not going to get those votes riding a bike in Mom jeans and a bike helmet or driving a Tesla to be “environmentally responsible”.  You get those votes by being tough, not dancing around tough issues and parsing your words.  Plame understands that.  Warren and other Dem candidates don’t.

Normal unaffiliated people are attracted to strength.  Plame gets that.  Dukakis (or his campaign chair) didn’t.  Fortunately, Obama’s speaking skills and intellect overpowered his nerdiness.  Warren polls well among like kind because she speaks their language.  She doesn’t speak to Joe Six Pack, and doesn’t have a prayer in the swing states.  “Having a plan for that” is not enough.  Candidates have to inspire.  Obama got that.  Biden gets that. Plame gets that.  Jon Tester of Montana gets that.

Are issues like climate change important?  Goddam right they’re important.  But we’re going to make zero progress by running a candidate who can’t beat the Russians and Cheeto Jesus in the rust belt.