Ana Marie Cox, columnist for the Guardian, joins me today for a brief conversation.
ANA MARIE: Hey, you there?
ANA MARIE: I need to complain about a Politico thing!
JASON: Okay, I am here for you.
ANA MARIE: Today's feature story, by Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei, has this lede: "Nothing inspires Democrats like the Barack Obama swagger — the supreme self-confidence on stage, the self-certainty in private." Is that true? Really? That is their lede.
JASON: Uhm...I would like to get somebody's on-the-record quote on that.
ANA MARIE: I mean, really. Personally, I think Democrats get really nervous about his swagger, and if they are inspired by him, it's on those occasions where he speaks for the unspoken-for, so to speak.
JASON: I think you're actually more likely to find Democrats -- at least actual lawmaking Democrats -- are rather unnerved by the way Obama's "swagger" manifests itself in aloofness. That whole, "Don't worry I got this" thing that Obama is reputed to have? Well, guess what? I'm gonna worry, I think? I think that maybe you AREN'T actually going to get Chuck Grassley's vote on health care reform, for example? Just a hunch.
ANA MARIE: Yes! The notion that the swagger itself is "inspiring?" I doubt you could find some suburban starry-eyed city-council activist who thinks that. It's just an assertion that exists to validate the rest of the story. Which is also dumb, by the way! Here's the next sentence: "So nothing inspires more angst than when that same Obama stumbles, as he has leaving the gate in 2012."
JASON: Ha! Yeah, well, I similarly don't think anyone is of the mind that his re-election hopes are doomed. It's May.
ANA MARIE: Also, please define "stumble." Gay marriage: was that the "stumble"?
JASON: This all pertains to Cory Booker's inability to "stay on message" on "Meet The Press."
ANA MARIE: Surely! Oh, and look: this sentence is in the sixth paragraph: "Surely, all of this could prove to be ephemeral and meaningless in the arc of a long presidential contest."
JASON: aksdfjkafdgjadljasdfjklsd
ANA MARIE: Let's just put that sentence in every Politico story ever.
JASON: I am imagining the scene right now. Jim VandeHei leans over Mike Allen and asks, "Did you write the sixth-paragraph premise-negater, like I asked you to?"
ANA MARIE: Maybe Mike Allen has a Word Macro for that.
JASON: Politico should just put that on their banner. You know how Elizabeth Spiers put "Nothing sacred but the truth" back on the front page of the New York Observer? Politico's print edition should have the tagline, "Surely, all of this could prove to be ephemeral and meaningless."
ANA MARIE: I would like that on a T-shirt, please. They get things all on track two paragraphs later: "But for now, it’s impossible to overlook the early struggles of a White House and political team notorious for discipline and effectiveness."
JASON: I don't know, I question the use of the word "impossible" there. Were there no other Politico stories today?
ANA MARIE: It is "nearly impossible," I guess.
JASON: Somewhat plausible, though unlikely.
ANA MARIE: Unless it proves to be ephemeral and meaningless!
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.