Earlier in Kirsten Gillibrand's congressional career, her New York colleagues nicknamed her "Tracy Flick," after the annoyingly earnest, overachieving high-schooler portrayed by Reese Witherspoon in Election.
That's not the worst nickname for an ambitious politician. If I were her, I'd wear the label with pride and take it as a sign of jealousy. However, Gillibrand as a presidential candidate doesn't seem like Tracy Flick. Her latest bid to generate a viral moment out of thin air smacks more of Gretchen Weiners from Mean Girls, who tried, and failed, to "make fetch happen."
At her Fox News town hall Sunday, Gillibrand took a question on her support for late-term abortion, and in a clear effort to imitate South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg last month, took an awkward swipe at Fox News for discussing "infanticide" around President Donald Trump's State of the Union. You see, Mayor Pete criticized some conservative Fox News personalities ... while on Fox News! It was very exciting for some reason, and Gillibrand clearly wanted a moment like that of her own.
Except this time, moderator Chris Wallace didn't sit quietly by, interrupting to tell Gillibrand her criticism of his employer was "frankly, not very polite." She went on to hit Fox's abortion coverage anyway and not really answer the question she was asked.
It was a quasi-interesting moment in an otherwise pedestrian town hall. Gillibrand spoke in her usual frenetic bursts and made little news besides saying the NRA is the worst organization in the country. (She once told the NRA she hoped to work with it for many years.)
Yet less than 24 hours later, Gillibrand's team changed her Twitter bio to quote the "very polite" line and even started selling tote bags with the phrase. Her communications director made the line her Twitter background. This is what we call a thirsty candidate.
How hard is Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand pushing her not "very polite" moment from her Fox News town hall? Her campaign just changed her Twitter bio to include it: pic.twitter.com/yeb2yko6D0
— Dan Merica (@merica) June 3, 2019
Kirsten Gillibrand is now selling "not very polite" tote bags after comment from Chris Wallace https://t.co/QNJKmXK8vZ pic.twitter.com/fzxdVqRJxt
— Aidan McLaughlin (@aidnmclaughlin) June 3, 2019
The Gillibrand campaign really is embracing this "Frankly, not very polite" line.
This is Gillibrand's communications director. #FreeMeredith pic.twitter.com/Xbn90VLNEE
— Cameron Cawthorne (@Cam_Cawthorne) June 3, 2019
Look, I get it. Although Gillibrand has insisted she's having a blast on the trail, her candidacy has been a flop so far. She's a senator from one of the country's largest states, and she's been beaten to achieving both DNC debate thresholds by the likes of Marianne Williamson, Andrew Yang, and Tulsi Gabbard.
The Washington Post reported she and Eric Swalwell had the two most "distracted" audiences during last weekend's cattle call in California. If your name appears in the same sentence as his, times are tough.
But so transparently trying to generate "not very polite" into Elizabeth Warren-level "nevertheless, she persisted" status is a reminder of why Gillibrand isn't resonating in the first place. Whether it's having to apologize for her past expedient views on guns and immigration or lying to New York voters about her presidential ambitions in 2018, Gillibrand doesn't come off as genuine enough to Democratic voters in a field this crowded. She tried to copy Buttigieg and then tried to copy Warren.
Gillibrand still isn't the thirstiest candidate in the race, though. Mr. Swalwell, take it away.
https://twitter.com/ericswalwell/status/1135275685835137025