Tuesday, November 06, 2012

THIS IS ALL THE REPUBLICANS HAVE TO OFFER

Rosie Gray of BuzzFeed reports on a last-minute Scott Brown campaign appearance in a Boston neighborhood (emphasis added):
In West Roxbury, Brown's bus -- he's not in his signature pickup this Election Day -- pulled up to the Holy Name Parish School, where supporters of him and of Elizabeth Warren were out in force, waving signs in the rotary.

... Brown was faced with his most frustrating obstacle as a candidate: the blue-collar men who align with him culturally, but who are staying loyal Democrats this year. A large contingent of union members were waiting for Brown, and they were fired up.

When Brown approached them, one union member yelled, "Pack your bags, buddy!" Others joined in the jeering: "Down with Brown!"

Brown, on the sidewalk, for a split second with no staff or his wife around him, looked genuinely disappointed.

"Really, guys?" he said. "I'm a 26-year union member and you're busting my chops?" (Brown is a member of the Screen Actors Guild).

"You think she has anything in common with you?" Brown said, referring to Warren. It came out sounding more like a statement than a question.

He shook a few more hands and turned around to get back in his bus.
That's it. That's what Republicans have to offer these days -- the message vote for us, because the other party isn't like you.

Brown isn't really like these voters, either -- the truck and the barn coat are for show; he was an actor and a male model and he went on his first date with his future wife wearing pink leather shorts that he got after doing a modeling gig. But he rode into office because he could claim the mantle of white non-urban ordinariness. Mitt Romney, this year, eventually twisted himself in knots until he was claiming it, too, and GOP voters were buying it. It's identity politics, pure and simple. And it's really pretty much all the GOP is selling anymore.

2 comments:

Victor said...

Maybe if Obama, after Hillary steps down as Sos, picks Kerry, Brownie can run for that Senate seat.

And, hopefully, the Dem's will pick someone else who's a pretty damn good candidate. Maybe there's another Kennedy lying around somewhere, who wants to run.

Never Ben Better said...

He lost.

Truckie McBarnjacket lost.

GLOAT.