"The Invasion of the Alpha Male Democrat "

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: The Invasion of the Alpha Male Democrat
By RYAN LIZZA
Published: January 7, 2007


(Stephen Kroninger)
Above, from left to right: Charles Schumer, Jon Tester, Heath Shuler, Jim Webb, Brad Ellsworth and Rahm Emanuel.

WASHINGTON

NANCY PELOSI’S carefully crafted introduction to the American people last week seemed to reinforce some stereotypes of the so-called mommy party....But even as this nurturing image dominated the news, the swearing-in ceremony on Thursday was notable for another milestone in gender politics: the return of the Alpha Male Democrat.

The members of this new faction, which helped the Democrats expand into majority status, stand out not for their ideology or racial background but for their carefully cultivated masculinity.

“As much as the policy positions is the background and character of these Democrats,” says John Lapp, the former executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee who helped recruit this new breed of candidate. “So we went to C.I.A. agents, F.B.I. agents, N.F.L. quarterbacks, sheriffs, Iraq war vets. These are red-blooded Americans who are tough.”

Mr. Lapp even coined a term to describe these manly — and they are all men — pols: “the Macho Dems.”....

***

The architects of this strategy, Representative Rahm Emanuel, Mr. Lapp’s boss, as well as Senator Charles Schumer, are well-known political pit bulls. Mr. Emanuel... is missing half of one finger — his aides refer to him as “nine point five” — and swears enough to make a Soprano blush. Senator Schumer is so aggressive and demanding that he has a reputation as one of the most difficult people in the Senate to work for. Both men, who have been elevated to leadership positions in the new Congress, are throwbacks to the era when tough-guy Democrats were urban ethnic politicians, like Dan Rostenkowski and Tip O’Neill.

When Mr. Emanuel and Mr. Schumer set out to find candidates to run in the red states and districts of the 2006 electoral battleground they sought their own rural and exurban doppelgängers....

(Ryan Lizza is a senior editor at The New Republic and a correspondent for GQ.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/weekinreview/07lizza.html

[babylonsister]

1. I'll read this tomorrow, but will revile Rahm today. He did do well

on the floor of the House yesterday, he was spectacular. But I just don't trust him.
Thank you, DMM, for another important and timely article!

[DeepModem Mom]

4. It's a peculiar article. I take issue with some of it, but...

I also think that if American men were thinking all Dem men were wimps (which I think some did), then we did need to work on our image as a party. And I like these new guys!

[Eric J in MN]

7. What did he say on the floor of the House? NT

NT

[illinoisprogressive]

2. As always, deepmodemom, another winner

[DeepModem Mom]

3. Hi, i.p.! Thanks for your posts! nt

[calimary]

5. Thanks for posting this, DMM! Always on the alert, you are.

:thumbsup:

[loyalsister]

6. Ironic

These dems represent more of a mommy party than any others if they are going to coddle low expectations and push sexual stereotypes.

:puke:

[Eric J in MN]

8. I don't think Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) wants to..

..."coddle low expectations and push sexual stereotypes."

[loyalsister]

9. The article was about recruiters

I think the argument would be that he appeals to them and is one.
In other words he was not recruited for his talent and intelligence, only because he is reasonably capable and macho. The flip side of recuiting a reasonably capable woman who's real asset is her looks.
It's a pretty demeaning article.

[Eric J in MN]

10. From wikipedia on Jon Tester

"In 2005, Tester was elected President of the Montana Senate, the chief presiding officer of the Montana Legislature’s upper chamber."

Seems like a good background for someone to run for the US Senate for the first time.

[loyalsister]

11. Wow

Montana might be different from other states, but usually, they look for someone who is either exceptionally intelligent and talented or has paid dues and served in statewide office.
I wasn't criticizing him. I was just saying that the article implied he was recruited more because of his machismo than because Shumer and Emmanuel thought he was an exceptional talent.

[sandnsea]

14. They didn't recruit him

Their guy lost in the primaries. As you say, Tester did serve in the State Senate for years and is not only intelligent but also well-liked in the eastern part of the state. He ran because he's a good guy, plain and simple. Machismo doesn't really play well in Montana anyway. People aren't interested in the image you present, they want to know if you can go the distance when it's 40 below and the cattle need feed or your neighbor's baby is on the way.

[loyalsister]

18. Ran because he's a good guy

ok

[sandnsea]

19. It is demeaning

and more than that, bullshit. Rahm & Schumer may have had some cockamamie idea about alpha male macho in their head, but it isn't what played out on the ground. Integrity won the day, not some bullshit PR strategy.

I suspect we're saying the same thing with different words.

[sandnsea]

13. Not a bit

I resent the entire implication that any of these Dems are 'macho men'. My god how pathetic would that be. :puke:

[sandnsea]

12. They're mature men, not macho-men

Big difference.

[ellisonz]

15. Bingo.

:thumbsup:

:dem:

[Doctor_J]

16. What they are are real people who have had jobs, paid bills,

run businesses, and made their way n the world - unlike Repuuglicans who think their birth right is to rule.

This is typical for someone for writes for the New Republican.

[ProSense]

17. Stuffing Your Shorts: Every Man Wants To be A Macho Macho Man

Stuffing Your Shorts: Every Man Wants To be A Macho Macho Man

[sandnsea]

20. "dimwittery" nuff said n/t

[Sparkly]

21. That is excellent.

"Authenticity. Look it up. Figure it out." :thumbsup:

Thanks for posting the link.