A most unusual TV campaign ad is airing in Florida, by Democratic State Senator and Congressional candidate Annette Taddeo. Here is the ad (which can also be accessed at the previous link):
Taddeo’s ad, which attacks her Republican opponent María Salazar, the incumbent Representative in Florida’s 27th Congressional District in the Miami area, is unusual in a number of ways, and may be quite effective as a result:
PA Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, left, in typical attire
Recently, we posted about how New Jersey Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz‘s U.S. Senate campaign in Pennsylvania is imploding, and how his Democratic opponent, Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, is taking brilliant advantage of every Oz blunder. Some of the highlights of Dr. Oz’s out-of-touch (and out-of-state) elitism we covered include his 10 houses and his hapless “crudité” video, where Oz tried to cosplay as a Man of the People, and failed hilariously.
What makes Fetterman so appealing in contrast to Dr. Oz is his authenticity as an actual Regular Guy, who wears hoodies and gym shorts on the campaign trail, lives across the street from a steel mill instead of in State House where he and his family are entitled to live, and is a lifelong Pennsylvanian. Fetterman served as the Mayor of his town, Braddock (a predominantly black town outside of Pittsburgh), and even has its zip code tattooed on his forearm.
The other thing that distinguishes Fetterman as an Average Joe is his use of language, which is decidedly not like that of a politician. In particular, Fetterman’s language is casual to the point of occasional profanity.
Democrats in array this time
When one thinks of a political party marching in lockstep, using the same campaign phrase, the Democratic Party usually does not come to mind. However, that’s just what’s happening as the 2022 midterm elections approach. As we indicated in July, the Democrats, starting with President Joe Biden, began saying that “Freedom is on the ballot” in the upcoming elections:
This fall, Roe is on the ballot. Personal freedoms are on the ballot.
Until then, we will do everything within our power to ensure that women have access to the medication they need and that they will have the freedom to travel to seek the care they need.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 5, 2022
In what could not be a coincidence, President Biden was joined at the same time with the same language by Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell:
Freedom is on the ballot this November.
Freedom from gun violence
Freedom of health care choices
Freedom to vote #ChooseFreedom
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) July 5, 2022
Those two concurrent tweets were enough to identify a theme here, but now President Biden and Rep. Swalwell have been joined by more Democrats expressing the “Freedom” message for the midterms:
Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. and U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman
The 2022 Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race between television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz on the Republican side and Democratic Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman is capturing tons of national media attention, but not for the reasons Dr. Oz would prefer. The Oz campaign has been especially tone-deaf, making one mistake after another, and Fetterman and his campaign have been quick to capitalize on each one.
Essentially, the Oz-Fetterman race has turned into a Culture War, to the great disadvantage of Dr. Oz. Usually, it’s the Republicans who try to run on Culture War issues, whether it’s abortion, attacking LGBTQ people and their rights, book banning, guns, etc., mostly as a distraction, because Republicans are extremely unpopular on economic and other issues of importance to most Americans. In Pennsylvania, however, Fetterman has turned the tables on Republicans regarding cultural issues.
President Joe Biden, about to take his show on the road
Bloomberg News reported yesterday that President Joe Biden will hold a celebration event for the Inflation Reduction Act (“IRA”) on September 6 at the White House, followed by a tour across the country to tout the IRA’s benefits. Here is the tweet from Bloomberg White House reporter Jenny Leonard showing the memo from White House Chief of Staff Ronald Klain which outlines the plans for the IRA celebration:
Per new WH memo: Biden will host a celebration event for the Inflation Reduction Act at the White House on September 6 and travel across the country to highlight its benefits. @POTUS will also attend the groundbreaking of @intel’s Ohio semiconductor fab. pic.twitter.com/SCXDZjWul9
— Jenny Leonard (@jendeben) August 15, 2022
The U.S. Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act on August 7. The U.S. House passed it last Friday. In both cases, the IRA received no Republican votes. Vice President Kamala Harris had to cast the tie-breaking 51st vote for the IRA in the Senate. President Biden is expected to sign the IRA later today.
The attack that turned into a compliment
In an amazing flipping of the script, Democrats have taken back a Republican phrase used to denigrate President Joe Biden.
It all started last October, at the Sparks 300 NASCAR race at Talladega Motor Speedway in Alabama. During winner Brandon Brown‘s post-race interview, some in the crowd began chanting “Fu*k Joe Biden!” The interviewer instead claimed, either unknowingly or deliberately, that the crowd was chanting “Let’s Go Brandon!”
Soon, Republicans started saying “Let’s Go Brandon!” as a euphemism for the epithet against President Biden. Even a number of leading Republican politicians began uttering the phrase, wearing t-shirts and masks displaying the phrase, and referring to the Biden administration as “the Brandon administration.” The “Brandon” saying was going strong as recently as this past weekend, at Donald Trump‘s Saudi-sponsored golf tournament:
https://twitter.com/magatalker/status/1554112313887805441
However, over the past week or so, Democrats have suddenly taken the “Brandon” epithet back, and have turned it into an instant smash hit for President Biden.
Twitter activism is a click away
It’s no secret that Democratic Party has been slow to come up with a unifying theme for the 2022 midterm elections. We recently suggested that President Joe Biden, Congressman Eric Swalwell and others may have hit upon the unofficial theme “Freedom is on the Ballot” in November. That’s pretty good, and it should be spread far and wide. But the other part that is needed, especially when defending the last two years of Democrats in control of the White House and the U.S. House (control of the Senate is more tenuous with a 50-50 tie), is a strong recital of the Democrats’ record of accomplishments during this time.
Here’s where Twitter comes in. President Biden in particular has been very good about touting his administration’s achievements. For example, Biden is correctly taking credit for actions (such as releasing millions of barrels of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve) that have led to a summer of falling gasoline prices:
A new report says my Administration’s actions have played a large part in making gas prices lower. And now those prices are coming down fast. pic.twitter.com/KxJzVLwfR5
— President Biden (@POTUS) July 26, 2022
Likewise, Biden White House Chief of Staff Ronald Klain likes to get in on the action:
Gas prices are down EVERY day this summer so far — consumers are spending about $2 billion less on gas this week than they were in early June.
— Jeff Zients (@WHCOS) July 26, 2022
But in addition to these government officials, there is a growing army of citizens on Twitter who are spreading good news about President Biden’s and the Democrats’ accomplishments far and wide. Some of the prominent accounts in this Twitter army, including their Twitter page description and sample tweets, are:
Protest by Teens for Gun Reform
Last Sunday, the Texas House of Representatives released an Investigative Committee Interim Report indicating that 376 law enforcement officers arrived at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX to confront an active shooter on May 24, 2022, but none of them acted to rescue the students and teachers. As a result, 19 children and two teachers were killed. The report in particular faults a lack of leadership and command, especially by school district police chief Pedro “Pete” Arredondo, who claimed to be in charge on the scene but did not act or order his officers to try to take down the gunman. Arredondo has since resigned.
The failure of so many officers in Uvalde to confront the shooter and try to save the children and teachers belies the Republicans’ frequently used “good guy with a gun” talking point, or the Republican idea that teachers should be armed in the classroom, as demonstrated by this sampling of tweets on the subject:
https://twitter.com/richardhine/status/1549039660596228096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
I know no better arguments for banning AR-15 type semiautomatic rifles
Than 400 cops being afraid to take on an 18 year old with one— William Buecker (@wcbuecker) July 17, 2022
ALMOST 400?!
If 400 “good guys with guns” are too scared to confront ONE bad guy with a gun? And let 19 people die?? Our children and their teachers?
What does that tell you?? IT’S THE GUNS. Ban assault weapons now https://t.co/TOx5bydoY9
— Sophia Bush (@SophiaBush) July 17, 2022
“Freedom” is just potatoes to Republicans
The 2022 midterm elections are just 124 days away, and the results will likely make or break Joe Biden‘s presidency and the Democratic Party’s agenda. All seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as approximately one-third of U.S. Senate seats, are up for grabs. If the Republicans gain a majority in either house of Congress, at minimum, the Biden/Democratic agenda will be stymied as they won’t be able to pass any meaningful legislation. Additionally, either house under Republican control will bog the government down in senseless hearings involving laptops and other shiny object distractions, in order for the GOP to try to score political points. Moreover, many state and local offices are up for election, which could determine how crucial matters ranging from abortion to elections themselves are handled. Suffice it to say that, if any Democrats claim “this is one of the most important elections of your lifetime,” they are not exaggerating.
Republicans, predictably, are bashing President Biden and Democrats over inflation and gasoline prices as their 2022 election theme. Fair enough, as the party out of power generally attacks on any economic front that it can, even though in this case, Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine, as well as leftover COVID-based supply chain problems, both of which can be laid at the feet of Donald Trump, are largely to blame. Indeed, inflation is a problem worldwide, and the United States is on the lower side of gasoline prices around the world.
Therefore, it would be really helpful if the Democratic Party would express a unifying and galvanizing theme for the upcoming elections, to counter the Republicans and drive all-important voter turnout. This has worked in the past, e.g., House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi‘s healthcare message for the 2018 midterms, which led to a Democratic takeover of the U.S. House, catapulting Pelosi to House Speaker.
As it turns out, President Biden and Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell of California, among others, seem to be leading the way with a theme that can succeed for the Democrats in this year’s elections. That theme can be seen in recent tweets from Biden and Rep. Swalwell:
Next stop for Donald Trump?
Those who followed last Tuesday’s fourth hearing held by the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol were treated to a stunning play-by-play of Donald Trump‘s criminal behavior in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The Committee impeached Trump’s character in every way.
Most devastating to Trump were the recordings of various telephone calls he, often accompanied by others such as Rudolph Giuliani, made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Arizona Speaker of the House Russell Bowers, pleading with them to entertain false claims of voter fraud, replace electors for Joe Biden with fake electors for Donald Trump, or “find votes” for Trump, all with the intent of overturning Biden’s election victories over Trump in those states. On such calls, Trump also made threats to these officials, such as threats of prosecution, for failing to follow through on Trump’s wishes.
While Raffensperger, Bowers and other state officials stood up to Trump, these calls by Trump were a big mistake, as he failed to insulate himself from criminal liability the way a Mafia don usually does, by letting others do his dirty work. As a result, Donald Trump faces a criminal investigation in Georgia, and members of the January 6 Committee say they have enough evidence to refer a criminal indictment against Trump to the U.S. Department of Justice. At minimum, Trump’s calls to Raffensperger and Bowers were as bad as his July 2019 phone call to Ukraine‘s President Vlodymyr Zelensky, during which Trump demanded that Zelensky investigate Joe Biden’s son Hunter to help Trump in his 2020 election efforts, in return for the U.S. providing weapons to Ukraine so it could defend itself against Russia. That call to Zelensky led to Trump’s first impeachment.
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