Watch this video of David Brat (h/t Salon) particularly starting 2:30 in, where he has a classic response to a serious policy question.
When Brat responded, "Hey, Chuck, I thought we were just going to chat today about the celebratory aspects," my first thought was of Chevy Chase playing Gerald Ford in Saturday Night Live spoof of one of the debates between between Ford and Jimmy Carter. Go to the 5:40 mark for "Ford's" response to an economics question:
If the video doesn't display, click this link. Transcripts below.
Does the TV ad not write itself? But the checks don't write themselves, so get on that DCCC. You've been handed an opportunity. Not only is Brat's immigration position unpopular in the district as a whole, as compared to just GOP primary voters, but listen to Brat's response on raising the minimum wage and remember how popular that is everywhere. Brat is unready to talk to anyone outside the conservative bubble. Moreover, I have to think the district's Republcans are divided now, and what will GOP-leaners think of what the primary voters did? Get Jack Trammell some help.
Regarding commentary that Trammel was really picked by some small committee rather than the voters, be glad local Democrats begged him to stick his name on the ballot. This is why, whatever the district, you want at least a "some guy" candidate. Sometimes there's no hope of winning without something utterly bizarre happening, but utterly bizarre things do happen sometimes, and you can't win if you don't try. I imagine the committee told Trammell he'd never win, so he wouldn't actually have to go to Congress. Oops. A few oopses, and you can eke your way to a majority.
Transcript of the relevant bit of the "Ford" video:
Liz Montgomery: Yes. Mr. President, you said that the Humphrey-Hawkins bill will cost a possible sixty billion dollars. But isn't it true that the jobs provided by the bill will create up to a hundred and fifty billion dollars in increased production -- using Walter Heller's figure that for every one percent unemployed, there is a resulting thirty-seven billion dollar loss in GNP. Now, at the present rate of taxation on GNP of thirty-nine percent, doesn't this come to about the same sixty billion dollars in increased revenue?
President Gerald R. Ford: It was my understanding that there would be no math... during the debates. Now, I -- I am prepared to answer any domestic, uh -- questions. Perhaps you would like to know something about me and Betty?
That whole quote of Brat's in response to the Syria question:
Hey, Chuck, I thought we were just going to chat today about the celebratory aspects. I’d love to go through all of this but my mind is — I love all the policy questions but I just wanted to talk about the victory ahead and I wanted to thank everybody that worked so hard on my campaign. I’m happy to take policy issues at any time, I just wanted to call out a thanks to everybody today.
7:40 AM PT: A Facebook friend sent me this link. Brat's campaign manager, a 23-year-old recent college grad (campaign staff tend to be young, even managers, but not generally that young) either hid or deleted incendiary stuff on his Facebook page. He's as loopy as his candidate. Definitely this campaign got lucky. Not ready for prime time at all. Unless Trammell is a lousy candidate too, this race has to be winnable:
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