Democratic Persona

We are now at last in the election year and it seems time to make some observations on the candidates remaining among the Democratic hopefuls for the Presidency. The field has been whittled down but as the Iowa primary draws neat here are my observations not so much on their respective ideas and position papers but on my impressions of their TV persona.

Joe Biden: I watched a little of the last debate and the 78-year-old former Vice-President looks remarkably fit for his age. He actually looks better than he ever has. His fitness coach has done a great job. Nevertheless, there is something in his voice that betrays his age. I detect a little hesitancy as if he is not as quick on the uptake as he used to be. 

He is also not as belligerent or pugnacious as he used to be in debate. Perhaps it’s age but I suspect it is hard for him to pull out all the stops in attacking fellow Democrats and he might also be leery of offending progressive sensibilities. If he attacks Senator Warren, he could be branded as a male chauvinist. Harsh words against Mayor Pete Buttigieg might brand him as a homophobe. Attacks against Senator Bernie Sanders could cause him to lose favor among the millennials partial to Socialism.

Senator Bernie Sanders: In the debates Senator Sanders reminds me of a cranky old man that you are likely to meet at your local Senior center who talks incessantly but rarely listens. Moreover, he says the same thing over and over again since his views have never changed with age or experience.

Like many seniors Senator Sanders complains about everything and leaves the impression that he has voted against everything in his long career. Now that his beloved Soviet Union, the place where he took his bride on their honeymoon, has collapsed, he even complains about Russia. Still, his greatest complaints are leveled against American corporations despite the fact that they have made it possible for millions of his young supporters to have enough surplus cash to contribute to his campaign.

Senator Elizabeth Warren:  Senator Warren leaves the impression of a schoolmarm in the same way that Hillary Clinton did. She knows everything and has a plan for everything. She knows what’s good for us and the country must take its medicine whether it likes it or not. Actually, of all the candidates she most resembles ex-President Obama. I can’t wait for her to say, “If you like your medical plan, you can keep it.”

I didn’t stay around at the debate to see her give the bird to Senator Sanders by refusing to shake his hand after their spat about the chance of a woman being President. Doesn’t Senator Sanders know that when a woman makes a charge, it must be believed?

I have to admit that I had only fleeting glimpses of the other three candidates on stage during the debate. Senator Amy Klobucher leaves little impression and that is probably her problem. She has no charisma, something so important in the age of American Idol. 

Billionaire Tom Steyer is completely lacking in face or name recognition. Even though his wealth exceeds that of a thousand millionaires, he doesn’t even wear a tie.  Does he want to leave the impression that he is a common, ordinary guy? He reminds me of the suburban women who wear tattered designer jeans as a sign of their solidarity with the working poor.

Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s persona as a combat veteran was severely damaged before the debate by an article in the Wall Street Journal that detailed the true nature of his service in Afghanistan. If he fails to win the nomination, it will not be because people dislike homosexuals, but because they do not like him, and perceive him as a lackluster mayor of a failing, crime-ridden city.

Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomburg was not on the stage but this latecomer to the race has so far spent more money on TV ads than all the other candidates combined. It will take a lot more of his money to make people forget that he went to a black church in Brooklyn recently and apologized for his continuation of Rudy Giuliani’s “stop and frisk” policy. Bloomberg argued in the past that the policy saved thousands of black lives but now he is sorry.  It will also take many more millions for him to overcome the “Little Mikey” label that President Trump has pinned on him.

Finally, Representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii was not invited to the debate. She strikes me as the only real person running for the Democratic nomination but she needs more experience on the big stage. I would like to suggest that the Governor of Connecticut offer to trade Representative Rosa de Lauro to Hawaii for Representative Gabbard. The elderly De Lauro is more experienced and has more clout in the House of Representatives, but Gabbard would be a welcome addition to the Connecticut political scene.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

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