TPM: “Rep. Joe Kennedy III of Massachusetts will deliver the Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address next week.”
I don’t mean any serious disrespect to III but, really, do we want to signal that this is the year of the rich white man?
You mean…it isn’t!!!???
Oh.
I hope you are right, but if that actually happens it will be the first year of that sort since the founding paternalists wrote a constitution that was expressly designed to keep “rich white men” in control just as they had been in the colonies for more than a century…and just as they had been in Europe for a couple of thousand years.
The rise of China…so far, anyway…to real power is the first non-white civilization to challenge for world dominance since the Roman Empire, unless you consider the Crusades. And considering the current state of almost all Islamic countries, guess who won those wars.
I’m not saying that this is “right,” I am just saying that this is what is up today.
Kennedy being chosen for this job? A bunch of rich white men (and a few non-white people of various genders…an advance of sorts, no matter how shallow it may be in the grand scheme of things) chose him because they think that an image of that sort will win elections.
So it goes.
I wrote an article here way back in February 2017 titled Perez now chairman of DNC. Oh Well…There Goes THAT Idea!!!
It was about just that sort of DNC image shenanigans.
Here it is again:
Sigh…
Almost nothing has changed.
So it goes.
AG
Should be goddamn, mother-fucking Kirsten G. Dammit.
State of the Unions and their responses are not memorable, they’re practically useless, and the person in charge of the “response” frequently has a downward trajectory on their electoral future/career within the party as a power player.
History Response to SOTU.
Have no idea what goes into the selection(s) for the response(s). Or why since 1991 it has mostly been limited to one person in English. Interesting that the GOP initiated a response in Spanish (2011).
A not enviable task considering that few voters watch it and the political pundits are ready to pounce with their criticisms. Still looks as if young and very ambitious politicians have been eager for the public exposure. On that basis, Joe Kennedy III may be in that group.
However, have to agree that it looks lame (weak and spooked). Democrats in a defensive crouch against Trump and passing it off to a member of big name political dynasty that peaked decades ago.
Still haven’t done that diary on last Tuesday’s Dem IL gov debate. Maybe tomorrow. Chris Kennedy was not inspiring. Looked like a crotchety old man telling Pritzker to get off his lawn.
GG:
Atrios adds:
I think it is. Self funding is all the rage. Who else is going to run? Union leaders? Are any left? Academics? Are any Left? (sic) Rich white women? Rich black men? Rich black women? (OK, Oprah. Who else?)