Jesse Watters can’t seem to stop admiring Dr. Abdul El-Sayed. The Fox News host loves to talk about how Michigan’s Democratic nominee for the Senate is “in great shape” and how “Abdul . . . beat the machine” — meaning the party establishment’s candidate, Rep. Haley Stevens — in a hard-fought primary. During an interview in August, Watters clearly enjoyed El-Sayed’s jokes and blunt speech, which included calling his opponent, former Rep. Mike Rogers, a “beta,” and asking the host if he was circumcised when Watters tried to corner him on gender-affirming surgery for minors. The next day, Watters made no bones about El-Sayed’s appeal. “I like him,” he said. “I don’t want to like him. I like him for some stupid reason.”
But the reason was obvious. The doctor-turned-politician has an aggressive bro style that appeals to someone like Watters. Quick-witted with bulldog energy, El-Sayed never backs down from a fight. But despite Watters’ admiration, Fox News has become obsessed with taking El-Sayed down. It’s not because he’s Muslim, though Republicans are ratcheting up the racism in their efforts to derail his campaign. It’s because he is a model for how Democrats can escape their reputations for being weak and feckless.
All of this is true and serves not as an excuse, but as an indictment.
Yeah well… You can spend your time upset about how the world sucks, or you can look at it accurately so you can effectively do something to make it better
Politics is a dumb game, but it’s really important to play it well
This makes no sense. If I’m upset about how the world sucks, it’s because I am looking at it accurately. I’m accurately evaluating it as a thing that sucks and should be changed. This isn’t change, this is just the same shit creeping back in under the flag of change, and I’m not buying it. Have a nice day.
No, you’re upset that someone with good positions is being praised for qualities that shouldn’t matter instead of their policies
But those traits do matter - the fact that El-Sayed delivers his message in a way that inspires confidence in low information voters doesn’t take away from his positions. Instead, it empowers his positions. It enables positive change
This is what forward progress looks like. This is what winning looks like. It’s progressive policy in a pretty package. It’s good delivery of a good message
Nothing about that is a compromise
Yikes. Blocked.