I can't speak for Trolly but my reaction was that the lesson of the 2016 election wasn't "this was all great we just picked the wrong dynasty to throw in the ring, that was the problem"

But on the other hand, these SOTU responses matter for ~nothing and none of them ever make a difference or elevate the person giving them* (often hurts them, see Rubio drinking water or Jindal's hilarious response to Obama's first address to Congress) so who cares

*Paul Ryan a possible exception though I think his profile was already high-ish in 2011

I mean, people aren't keen on political dynasties, but I think most voters have a positive view of most of the Kennedy family anyway... In particular JFK and RFK. It's also not like this is the beginning of an automatic presidential run for Kennedy, or some culmination as opposed to open competition.

I don't know if I'd say SOTU responses don't matter at all - I would say they're extremely difficult speeches. You can write it in advance, but you may have to respond at the last minute to unexpected content in the SOTU... Especially this year. You don't have any breaks from an audience cheering (also a chance to drink water, LOL Rubio), and you have no energy to feed off of from an audience.

I think Joe Kennedy is pretty good at laying out the message that Democratic policies are compassionate and make sense for the average American worker/family/person. My guess is that's why they wanted him to give this speech. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the prominent presidential hopefuls didn't want to touch it.

Like, if you're Booker, Harris, Gillibrand, Warren (if she's running), etc, giving the SOTU response is a negative freeroll. Best case: you kill it and nobody new knows about you, nothing matters by the time 2020 rolls around, and nothing changes for you. Worst case: you pull a Rubio and it sticks with you going forward.

Also, and I can't say this enough, the choice of Kennedy is infinitely better than the last guy they trotted out there (Former Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear), who literally got tongue tied and said he was a Republican.

I'm confident Kennedy won't accidentally announce he's a Republican.

Kasich is 100% primarying Trump. His response after the Ohio GOP senate candidate dropped out, and Kasich was asked about stepping in, was "We have bigger priorities" or something like that. Also think Romney wants to primary Trump. Can't see why he'd actually want to be a junior senator for 6+ years

I can't think of a better way to remind voters that Dems are also the party of establishment interests and inherited privilege than picking a doofy third-generation Kennedy. **** is absurd.

Picking Kennedy is laugh out loud bad.

Even in Massachusetts the Kennedy name is despised.

The Democrats are trying their best to get Trump reelected.

It's astonishing how many people ITT think the post-SOTU speaker matters one iota.

I mean honestly the only one I can remember is Bobby Jindal.

I don't think it's a huge deal, but still it's a free shot to put the brand out there and using this spot to remind everyone that the Dems are the party of rich multi-generational career politicos is just dumb.

I've seen it other places and I think it's a good idea but have a teacher, community leader, or some other non politician to give the post SOTU address. You're always going to be playing second fiddle to the SOTU anyways so why not stop trying to put your up and comers out there just to have them be overshadowed and showcase the depth and commitment of the party that it's not just a bunch of politicians playing an angles game.

why is he despised in massachusetts?

Get Stormy Daniels to do it.

He's so despised he won his district (Cook PVI = D+9) by 40 points in 2016.

lol w00t.

Actually, the elite level play would probably be to give it to a local politician... Perhaps someone who won in the wave election in the Virginia House of Delegates.

There was a woman at the Women's March in DC who said she was inspired to run at last year's march... Her line was... "Last year I marched, then I ran... Then I won!"

That could have been a lethal message... The general idea could have been:

President Trump is being investigated by the a special counsel, and all the run of the mill politicians in the GOP can do is trip over themselves to smear the special counsel. These same old Republican politicians, meanwhile, are taking popular programs like CHIP and DACA hostage to get extreme concessions on immigration. They gave the wealthy a tax cut, and they did next to nothing for regular folks like you... Nothing but give you the same old lip service that you've been getting year after year from people only looking out for the rich, like Donald Trump himself.

I never envisioned a career in politics, but last year at the Women's March, I was inspired to get involved... apathetic people like to say both parties are the same, but the truth of the matter is, right now more than ever - they are not. The Democratic Party is beginning to fill up with people who were fed up by the same old politics, by the sexism, racism, bigotry, and total disregard for the middle class... So, instead of hoping for someone else to make changes, I decided to try to do it myself... And so did hundreds of others across the country. Now, we need people like you to show up in November to help elect more Americans who value the same things and will fight for them... Who believe in a vision of America where everyone has a fair chance to be successful, regardless of how rich their parents are, regardless of their gender or orientation, and regardless of the color of their skin.

A message like that from a new politician who feels more like an average person could have been a huge success. I suspect that's roughly what Kennedy's message will be, anyway... About a totally different vision for America. I still think he can deliver it well, but perhaps you guys have a point about him being the wrong messenger.

Another option would have been to take a bunch of regular folks and give them 2-3 sentences each: teachers, firefighters, nurses, cops, etc, etc...

It's also worth pointing out that putting a newcomer who is only on the state level, or just an average person, up there would have been a HUGE risk. If you think Rubio's meltdown was bad, imagine how badly an average person with no public speaking/TV experience could bomb after they spend the last few minutes before the big moment freaking out going "OMG like 100 million people are going to be watching oh my God oh my God oh my God..."

It would have been a VERY high risk play.

Eminem imo.

There is already a 2020 primary thread started, but i will say that if there is a legit primary challenge it will come from the right. Trump likely to be the most sane national Republican candidate in the near future. Kasich and Rommney aren't going to do ****, who is their constituency?

I think despised is the wrong word. I just feel like a lot of folks don't see him as being remarkable. He's the guy who kids get to meet when they go on their class trip to Washington DC. I should know, since my son's class got to meet him on their class trip to DC.....

Just because he is beloved in his own district, it doesn't necessarily follow from that that he isn't generally disliked outside of his own district.

Having said that, I've never heard anybody other than woot say that Kennedy isn't popular throughout Mass (let alone "despised.") Sounds like "fake news" to me.

So because he takes the time to talk to his constituents, he shouldn‘t give the answer to the SOTU? Better have someone who is more aloof.
Seems kind of lolquepear.jpg-logic.

The way my son relayed it, Kennedy had a "why do I have to do this?" look on his face the entire time. In other words, he wasn't doing this because he was a man of the people - he seemingly was drafted into it.

And as a Mass resident who's seen and heard him talk both in casual interviews and on local political shows, he seems like he's not a particularly bright bulb, nor does he have the family charisma or ability to connect with everyone from Latte liberals to Joe Lunchpail, to say nothing of him seeming like he's not built to withstand the rigor of campaigning let alone the attacks he'd endure. If I had to describe him in a few words, I'd say prep school softy.

Posts like this are why Hillary got more votes than Trump

Adam Schiff:

Get Your Schiff Together 2020!
Get Schiffty With It 2020!

Schiff also co-sponsored the bill that would have criminalized boycotting Israel.
Generally he's pretty far on the warhawk side of the dems. He's on the lesser of two evils list imo.

I don’t care who the guy is or what he has done bro don’t come at me like that. Clever campaign slogans are all I’m representing here. I do not endorse him bro so back off.

I'm not your bro, guy.