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.
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).
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”.