This is an update to my earlier diary wherein I react with a facepalm to Steve Beshear’s response for the Democratic Party.
1. It’s not that he’s old. He lacked the passion and emotion in his voice that people respond to. He sounded like parent saying to their obstinate child, “Now Timmy...put that away. Put it away Timmy. Please don’t make daddy raise his voice, Timmy. Put it away,” who then goes on to list all the very rationale and sufficient reasons why Timmy should listen. That doesn’t work. Grab their attention with vivid language and tonal modulation.
2. His opening was shit. It should have been: I’m a proud Democrat in the tradition of FDR who lifted up this country in one of the worst crises it ever faced after the failure of the Republican adminstration preceding it that implemented almost the exact same policies Republicans (including Donald Trump) advocate today. It didn’t work in in 1929 and it won’t work today. Worse, the Republican Party has abandoned their founder and first President Abraham Lincoln…and so on. Don’t refute them. Call them liars and bullshit artists and move on. Your response should be political, not policy.
3. Bobby Jindal and Marco Rubio are know-nothing idiots. We have better more eloquent and smart people than them in our ranks. Get them out there! They won’t screw it up. And practice...seriously, have them practice giving the response and taking massive notes during the SotU.
4. Setting matters. The majesty of the House cannot be overstated. Going from that to a diner is just underwhelming. Pick someplace interesting or beautiful. Or make a powerful setting.
Seriously, this is not Steve Beshear’s fault. It’s the party leadership that is still out of touch on communicating effectively. They only got 2006 and 2008 because Bush was such a massive fuck-up in governance and a timely economic crash that could be laid at his feet.