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| Michael Bennet |
"Do you really think what the Democratic slate of candidates needs is another mild-mannered moderate white guy?"
Press question asked of Michael Bennet at his filing event
The question was raised in response to another question from the media scrum:
"Senator, we noticed that you used the word 'despicable' to describe a comment by Don Junior, you raised your voice over Republican efforts to end Medicaid expansion, and you have thumped the table. Is this the new Michael Bennet?"
He said it wasn't, but that he did tap his glasses a few times at an editorial meeting at the Des Moines Register, and a reporter there counted the taps at over fifty.
Michael Bennet, like Amy Klobuchar, is a purple state Senator. His suite of policy positions is pure plain vanilla Democratic moderate. He favors universal health care, achieved through a public option. He supports action on climate. He says free college is a mistake and less important that the same amount of money spent on universal pre-school. He positions himself as an electable alternative to Sanders and Warren, supporting policies that are actually achievable.
And, of course, he opposes Trump.
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| Filing for office |
Mild-mannered moderate Democrat. I have heard Bennet speak five times. He is the same every time: clear, moderate, nice. There is a single message, both of identity and policy: he is a mild-mannered moderate Democrat, eager to do the right thing, get things done, make progress against the problems facing the country. A moderate. Bi-partisan in orientation.
That is his brand. Mr. Nice Guy Moderate Democrat.
The strength of that brand is that it is, indeed, a clear alternative to Trump. Trump is high drama; Bennet is relief from all the drama. Trump is confrontational and brutal to opponents; Bennet looks for common ground. Trump appeals to a base; Bennet talks about unifying America.
I suspect it would match up well against Trump in a general election. The non-Trump, which makes him a form of anti-Trump. He might win in the swing states if voters want a generic Democrat.
The weakness of that brand is that it is a crowded space, shared with Buttigieg, Klobuchar, and Bullock who are left in the race, and the moderate space is dominated by Biden. Plus, its very moderation makes it unmemorable in the high drama world created by Trump. If Bennet's competitors were to disappear and the choice were Sanders, Warren, and Bennet then Bennet would have a mentally sticky brand position--the moderate alternative. But that isn't the reality. The reality is that he shares a space with others, which in fact changes his brand message. He is the afterthought. The little guy with nothing to say. They guy no one can remember. His accidental brand is to be inconsequential.
It is unfair, and not doubt infuriating to him, but it is the reality he faces.
I have actually seen him six times, not five. The one additional time was when we shared a plane ride from Des Moines to Denver. He, like me, was flying coach, basic economy class. I recognized him, but the people around him did not.
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| United Air Lines, row 32 |
The meek may inherit the earth, but they don't get famous enough to win the Democratic nomination. It is real. It is thrifty. But it doesn't have the sizzle that gets a person noticed.
8 comments:
It's mighty nice that Peter Sage is giving equal time to the junior varsity team. Michael Bennett, Tulsi Gabbard, and Amy Klobuchar will be long-gone and out of the presidential race in another month or two. In fact, most of the current field might be gone once Mike Bloomberg and Hillary enter the race.
There is a rich and deep talent pool of Democratic candidates this season. Unfortunately we’ve moved into public populist media driven selection process. We talk about breakout and sizzle. We seem to be looking for the next savior. We’ve entered an arena where the motto is Everything for the masses and oh yeah I’m against Trump.
We're always looking for the next savior, don't you think, Mr Flenniken? The media has driven this for decades now. So much imbued in one office, one officeholder.. I used to think the Brits were silly for retaining their decorative monarchy, but I've come to envy them. It's unifying, and it separates fantasy from reality.
I used to think it was a foolish capacity for archaic idol worship. Now I think we're the fools.
I will be watching the polls coming up to see if either Michael Bennet or Bloomberg make a dent in them. I doubt it. Bloomberg, another rich guy, is not well known outside of New York. Neither of these, or Steyer, who already has ads on TV, will get people out in the streets to work for them, or to vote for them. And I would be bowled over if Hillary jumped in - I doubt it.
Diane Meyer....Hillary has been on a lot of TV talk shows lately, and the reasons are to gauge her current popularity, and to get her face and name in the news media again and become a topic of discussion. It's not a mistake that we're seeing more of Hillary lately. She's dying to run for president again, and we know from her dismissive comments about Tulsi Gabbard that Hillary thinks that she's the best of the candidates. Get ready to get "bowled-over", because I think that Hillary wants desperately to run again.
Go to a Bernie rally and hear him say: "This is not about me, it's about us" and "I'm going to need you more AFTER I'm elected." He's a realist who knows our government is owned lock, stock and barrel by the corporate elites in both parties and that change is about the MOVEMENT not about any one individual, president or otherwise. The only savior is US and that means becoming aware that laizzes faire, so-called "free market" capitalism is an extortion racket. Unregulated capitalism preys on the vulnerable, first the lower class and working its way up until it eventually eats itself. Sanders and Warren will only be saviors insomuch as we the people project upon them.
Andy Seles
I am happy to get comments from conservative or pro-Trump writers, but those comments need to reflect the reasoned and synthesized conclusions of the commenter. So not just quote Breitbart stuff here. There are copyright issues. Plus, I don’t want this blog to be a magazine aggregator of stuff published elsewhere.
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