January 21, 2010
A Note on Availablegate
By now you've caught wind of Senator-elect Scott Brown's joking around about his daughters' availability on the dating scene:
I appreciate that it's an interesting topic about which to talk, but the conversations really tell you more about the people having them than about Brown. Even taking the joke as a significant gaffe (which I don't), there are too many off-stage factors that would mitigate the import.
I'm picturing a conversation, as the campaign really began to demand the family's time and effort, in which Brown's daughters joked with their father about his having to do something to make up for the effect on their social lives. That's pure conjecture, but it's an example of the sort of inside jokes and running gags that families can develop.
The line would have been better made at a more-private post-game celebration, but sheesh, the guy just came from out of nowhere to win a seat in revolutionary fashion the U.S. Senate.
Katz
Maybe the new Senator was not joking about dating ,but rather about the availability of his family for opportunities in cashing in on their new celebrity. Sarah Palin is blazing that trail even as you now try to obfuscate.
Posted by: Phil at January 22, 2010 7:06 AMPhil, if that's what he's doing, he's sure going about it all wrong. And speaking of obfuscating and cashing in on celebrity, I'm sure that Bill Clinton has been making all of those speeches for the last nine years completely pro bono ...
Okay, no, not the most appropriate remarks by Scott Brown. But it also doesn't rise to the level of Glenn Beck's reaction. Michael Graham probably had the best analysis: it was a cross between parental match-making and parental teasing, with an emphasis on the latter.
I more pictured it that with the number of hands shaken and people met along the campaign trail (a few more than his opponent met) that he was frequently asked about the availability of his daughters and wanted to just put it out there once and for all. Necessary? No. Appropriate? Probably not. A proud Dad teasing his girls? Absolutely.
Anything else said about this is purely partisan politics.
Posted by: Patrick at January 22, 2010 8:50 AMI'm sure his daughters have been more embarassed by other things he's done as a public official.
Posted by: rhody at January 22, 2010 2:03 PMBeck said on the radio today that he was joking in those comments. I believe him for this reason: earlier in the day Wednesday he did an interview with Jay Severin, who has known Brown for a long time and was instrumental in giving Brown early media exposure on his show. Jay said, "He is just completely guileless. It's the sort of thing you'd say at a barbecue. That's just the way he is." And in that conversation, Beck agreed. So to go from that to an angry rant wouldn't be in character for Beck.
Posted by: BobN at January 22, 2010 2:11 PMPhil,
Yes, a Republican made an embarrassing gaffe. Good thing for you that Democrats are above such mistakes in their public and private lives. Just another example where even the most moderate-Republican can’t live up to the standard set by say ... John Edwards.
Democrats are good, intelligent & righteous. Republicans are bad, stupid & evil.
Clear enough?
Posted by: msteven at January 22, 2010 5:06 PM