You know what doesn't make someone "a man?"
Going on national TV and spouting multiple vulgarities.
But that's just what Democrat Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania did on the Sunday episode of CNN's State of the Union.
Fetterman began by predicting that in his race against Republican candidate David McCormick, incumbent Democrat Senator Bob Casey would "kick his . . . " Fetterman stopped short of saying the word, but host Dana Bash helpfully supplied, "I got it."
When Bash asked Fetterman to respond to Trump's allegations of election irregularties in Pennsylvania, Fetterman called it "the same old s---." This time, he pronounced the word.
Finally, when Bash asked Fetterman to comment on the Trump campaign using as a top ad one that focuses on Kamala's policy on transgenders, Fetterman went on a riff:
"If your political capital comes from picking on trans kids or gay kids or anything like that, you're just bankrupt throughout all of this. My version of being a man is like, hey, I like ribeyes, I like Motörhead, and I'm never going to pick on trans kids and gay kids . . . It's just a warped version of, it doesn't make you tough. It doesn't make you a man to pick on trans or gay kids. It just makes you an a-hole."
Fetterman pronounced that last word in full. We remember the days when liberal media hosts reprimanded and instructed guests that they were not allowed to speak of the "Democrat" party. But not a peep out of Bash for Fetterman's crude language.
In any case, Fetterman misrepresents the ad. Trump wasn't trying to prove his macho. And he wasn't picking on trans. He's pointing out that Kamala has pledged to make taxpayers pay for transgender surgery for prison inmates -- including illegal immigrants.
There are two groups actually being "picked on." The first are the taxpayers Kamala would force to foot the bills for the surgeries.
The second are the girls and women athletes being unfairly forced to compete against biological men. Not only are the females deprived of athletic success, in multiple cases they have been physically injured by the actions of larger, stronger, men.
Note: To his credit, Fetterman confirmed his strong and continuing support for Israel. And he indicated that Harris's ambiguity on the matter is a reason that the race in Pennsylvania, with its large Jewish population, is so close.
Here's the transcript.
CNN
State of the Union
11/3/24
9:10 am EDTDANA BASH: One of the most prevalent Trump campaign ads has been attacking Kamala Harris for her stance on trans rights. The ad ends with a tag line, quote, Kamala Harris is for they/them. President Trump is for you.
Is that resonating in Pennsylvania?
JOHN FETTERMAN: Again, it's like, if your political capital comes from picking on trans kids or gay kids or anything like that, you're just bankrupt throughout all of this.
My version of being a man is like, hey, I like ribeyes. I like Motörhead. And I'm never going to pick on trans kids and gay kids.
And it's just sad that the other side kind of chooses to pick on members of those communities. And I've said this throughout my entire career. That if you think that I have to turn our backs on their community, then you can vote for somebody else. But I'm never, I'm unwilling to ever do that.
And again, it's just a warped version of -- it doesn't make you tough. It doesn't make you a man to pick on trans or gay kids. It just makes you an a-hole.
BASH: But politically, the Trump campaign believes that has some resonance with suburban parents, with men in the communities of color. You don't see that?
FETTERMAN: I don't. I don't speak about members and their views of a member of a community. I'm not part of that community. But my views have been very clear throughout all of this. But I will say that if you're willing, and if you think that makes you tough, or it makes you more edgy to pick on members of that community, like I said, it's just sad and it's just reflective of their desperation throughout this entire campaign.
