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.
This is the same reason why they’re so obsessed with Hasan. The right has benefited from a perception that men, or at least “real” men, don’t have a place on the left. It’s been a highly effective strategy that shifts things away from the actual issues and onto meaningless aesthetics, and which is partially responsible for the political gender gap, particularly among young men who are more impressionable in that way. Having at least a handful of men who can challenge that perception (provided it doesn’t fall into actual toxicity) is, from a purely pragmatic perspective, strategically invaluable.
The right understands the potential impact of such aesthetics better than many on the left do, and so they’re desperate to discredit such figures, and especially, to try to get liberals and leftists to denounce them, because the goal is to reinforce this narrative that men have no place on the left. Of course we shouldn’t let their narratives dictate our actions, but we should at least be aware of them and try to avoid playing into them. Know the enemy.
Dude is so spicy. I’ve never seen a candidate clap back as hard as he does.
Glad to know I’m not the only one who noticed this. Him and Mamdani are brave people despite the bigotry. Their fighting prowess (which corporate Dems lack and it’s by intention from them) is what’s very needed to push against fascism.
Bro style? He’s a reserved person of color who knows any aggression will get him called a terrorist. The MF is so cool and collected it blows my mind. Standing up for yourself, caring about others, and not getting pulled into immature name calling isn’t being a bro. People forget what a real grown ass man looks like.
not getting pulled into immature name calling
He called his opponent a beta multiple times on his Fox News interview.
He definitely has a bro persona that he puts on to cater to certain audiences, which is good, a politician should be able to communicate with different groups on their level. Democrats do have a problem meeting young men / bros where they’re at. If him calling Mike Rogers a cuck gets more disaffected young men to vote for him instead of the Republicans I’m all for it
Bro has pretty much become a derogatory term on the left, but a ton of young men identify with that sort of culture and we can’t just call them all misogynists and cede them to the right if we want to win.
Abso-goddam-lutely
I love this. We need more and more of candidates like this guy.
No more folding and no more resorting to a fake “civility” when the POS conservatives are out there lying their motherfucking asses off all the time.
I’m so sick of the Murc’s Law Media giving the conservatives a pass in the name of “civility” and only punching leftwards. Glad to see a candidate that doesn’t give that shit about fake “civility”.
Tell the reactionary centrist Tone Police to go fuck themselves.
I keep seeing him addressed as “Dr.” What does he have a doctorate in? Just curious
Edit. He’s an epidemiologist. Hells yeah, man!
A Democrat that doesn’t immediately fold on culture war issues. “Holy shit what do we do?? We had no plan for this!”
Republicans only know how to run against neoliberals…
If a candidate just wants to talk about progressive policy, they can’t counter it. Because virtually every American wants progressive policy
Because Republicans have become incredibly lazy and just resort to name calling. They say, “this guys a socialist” and socialists are like ya I am and the Rs have no response because they can’t define socialism and have no firm policy on anything thanks to Trumpism.
It’s very interesting to see their complete lack of answers when getting into a discussion about socialism with modern Republicans/MAGA. It’s always “socialism bad”, and when you ask why it’s all fear mongering crap. Trying to get them to explain why capitalism is better, if you can get a real answer at all, always results in them talking about things that inevitably came from public research, grants, etc. and were then co-opted by private businesses to make a profit.
Their go-to is usually the Internet. They never seem to know it was developed by DARPA and the NSF for military and scientific/academic communication and collaboration. That 99% of the internet operates om open source software.
Another go-to is how “great” healthcare is even in it’s bastardized form in the US, government death panels, etc. And never understanding that even private healthcare is socialism. Everything paying the insurance company premiums ends up paying for everyone else’s care, except a handful of assholes in the middle steal millions for themselves while denying legitimate claims (literal profit-driven death panels).
It’s always “socialism bad”, and when you ask why it’s all fear mongering crap.
Because that’s all they have. If the repugs actually started talking about the policies they want to implement half of their voter base would shit bricks and switch sides. So instead they create invisible boogymen and have their propaganda outlets shove that shit down their throats 24/7.
Which is exactly why the conservatives are trying to make this election about things like “men in women’s sports”.
Republicans only know how to run against neoliberals…
True for the party in general now, and MAGA specifically can’t debate against anyone with an actual opinion. As soon as they try, they expose the fact that all of their opinions are based on racism (disguised poorly if at all) or simply being contrarian to whatever their “enemies” want. If their enemies want it, it MUST be bad. They are completely unable to actually provide any reasons for their beliefs being better for people/society, or why other opinions are worse that don’t come back to those racism or “just because”.
Roosevelt energy. Forward and unafraid + progressive pretty clearly wins in the US, historically. Seeing it again a century-ish later isn’t surprising but it does give a tiny spark of hope.
Give Abdul a show on the food network because our boy is fucking cooking!
Every time I see this guy speak he just kills its. Dude knows how to debate and get his point across.
Wanted to share this clip of him from the other day, in case anyone hadn’t seen it yet. Not sure what com it belongs in tho since politics is articles only.
Tommy got dissected in front of a crowd.
I personally prefer the term vivisected, since it portrays just how bad Tommy got owned.
Buddy had to hand over his dick
c/videos would work.
Well of course. He’s a doctor. He fully understands down to your raw psychology why one is even asking a question. He’s extremely educated for a politician. A VAST improvement over these MAGAts.
Mehmet Oz is a doctor too. I’d be less liberal with how discerning and smart you think a person is based on that title alone.
Isn’t Oz a grifter?
He’s a world renowned cardiothorasic surgeon. Also a grifter, but the surgical credentials are legit
TIL, but also that’s not what I meant. He’s a grifter, therefore he knows he’s pushing bullshit rather than being that dumb is what I was trying to say.
It’s not just understanding; most American politicians are actually very well educated. Aside from just raw talent, the important factor here is his willingness to fight back and his having a platform that he can fight back over.
Thank you for posting this, OP. This is a race the world over is watching. Let’s hope for the best - and may the state of AIPAC/Israel get their genociding asses kicked once more in a few days.
Watching from EU
I mean, he’s against genocide…
But it’s weird people act like that’s the main topic.
Like, you’ve never even heard him speak on video, have you? It’s nowhere near his priority and the only time it comes up is from rightwingers at townhalls.
Because they’re desperate to talk about anything other than domestic progressive policy.
Making everything about Israel is Republicans best (but still shitty) option.
Maybe you haven’t listened to him talk? He always mentions get money about of foreign wars aka the war with Iran that Israel started.
Everytime they mention Israel, he claps back with not spending money overseas. He doesn’t make a direct focus, but it’s a core part of keeping our tax dollars at home.
He always mentions get money about of foreign wars aka the war with Iran that Israel started.
Again…
It’s a lot more than just that single one.
Do you legitimately think that thata the only foreign war America is involved with?
Everytime they mention Israel, he claps back with not spending money overseas. He doesn’t make a direct focus, but it’s a core part of keeping our tax dollars at home.
Yes…
Everytime someone does what you did, he says what I just said…
What the actual fuck are you still having difficulty with here?
“All of our lies aren’t working, and that’s all we know how to do!“
