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Nobody Needs to Hear From Claire McCaskill About Anything
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Nobody Needs to Hear From Claire McCaskill About Anything

Why is anyone turning to this political failure for advice?

Jack Mirkinson's avatar
Jack Mirkinson
Nov 05, 2020

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Nobody Needs to Hear From Claire McCaskill About Anything
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Screenshot: MSNBC

Claire McCaskill used to be a Democratic senator from Missouri. Then she lost her re-election campaign in 2018 by 9 points, during a year when Democrats made huge congressional gains. She lost even though she made every attempt to swing to the right and tie herself to the Trump administration. It didn't work. The people of Missouri made it clear they did not want her around anymore.

You would think, then, that Claire McCaskill would not be the person to turn to for advice on how Democrats can do better in elections in the wake of Tuesday night's rather shaky results for the party. Luckily for her, MSNBC, which has become perhaps the leading venue in America for right-leaning Democrats and their Lincoln Project allies, exists.

So it was that McCaskill turned up to MSNBC on Wednesday night to give her sage advice to Brian Williams. The conversation started with mostly standard stuff—McCaskill said that working-class white people needed to be centered more and Williams said the Democrats were a "Whole Foods Party in a nation I insist is still a Ralph's country, a Piggly-Wiggly country, a Safeway country, and so on."

Conversations about the working class never seem to mention, say, any people of color, and Williams made $10 million a year during the height of his NBC career and McCaskill's net worth has been estimated at over $26 million, so I'm not sure if they're really the people with their fingers on the pulse of blue-collar America, but whatever.

Then McCaskill really got into her stride. Let's roll the tape.

Twitter avatar for @_waleedshahid
Waleed Shahid @_waleedshahid
Claire McCaskill: "Whether you are talking guns or...abortion...or gay marriage and rights for 'transexuals' and other people who we as a party 'look after' and make sure they are treated fairly. As we circled the issues we left voters behind and Republicans dove in."
5:07 AM ∙ Nov 5, 2020
1,946Likes225Retweets

Ah yes, and now we have arrived. Things are going badly for Democrats because of "transsexuals" and gay marriage.

Many, many people objected to this casual, antiquated bigotry from McCaskill, and she was forced to apologize by Thursday morning.

Twitter avatar for @clairecmc
Claire McCaskill @clairecmc
I’m so sorry I used hurtful term last night.I was tired,but never a good excuse.People have misinterpreted what I was trying to say.Our party should never leave behind our fight 4 equality for trans people or anyone else who has been marginalized by hate. My record reflects that.
2:55 PM ∙ Nov 5, 2020
21,872Likes1,066Retweets

Sure, fine, I definitely believe her. The thing is, I don't actually believe her, and even if you set that issue aside, it's still a remarkably lazy and outdated analysis. Gay marriage, which has two-thirds support in this country, is dragging the Democrats down? Huh? Trans rights were a central feature of the 2020 campaign? What?

Twitter avatar for @daveweigel
David Weigel @daveweigel
The conservative American Principles Project spent millions on ads in MI and WI warning that Biden would let "boys play girls' sports," etc, and Biden won them, so it's unclear what McCaskill is basing this on https://t.co/y72VOCv0kv
1:31 PM ∙ Nov 5, 2020
2,327Likes228Retweets

It's almost as though Claire McCaskill has no idea what she's talking about.

Update, 11:54 a.m. ET: What this person said.

Twitter avatar for @aaronnarraph
ay-ay-ron #FreePrakash @aaronnarraph
moderates: we need to run on working-class issues bernie: medicare for all? moderates: no bernie: free college? moderates: no bernie: cancel rent? moderates: no, biden 2020 *centrist house and senate candidates lose* moderates: ah, we talked too much about queer people
2:18 PM ∙ Nov 5, 2020
2,573Likes558Retweets

Update, 2:02 p.m. ET: Oh shit!

Twitter avatar for @AOC
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @AOC
Why do we listen to people who lost elections as if they are experts in winning elections? McCaskill tried her approach. She ran as a caravan-hysteria Dem& lost while grassroots organizers won progressive measures in MO. Her language here shows how she took her base for granted.
Twitter avatar for @_waleedshahid
Waleed Shahid @_waleedshahid
Claire McCaskill: "Whether you are talking guns or...abortion...or gay marriage and rights for 'transexuals' and other people who we as a party 'look after' and make sure they are treated fairly. As we circled the issues we left voters behind and Republicans dove in." https://t.co/bMh9JALAxg
5:32 PM ∙ Nov 5, 2020
117,872Likes13,758Retweets

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Bari Weiss Is Full of Shit
Her big trans panic story turned out to be nonsense, just like everything else she does.
Mar 2, 2023 â€¢ 
Katherine Krueger
304

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Bari Weiss Is Full of Shit
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CNN's Disgraceful Propaganda
This segment from Dana Bash on the Palestine protest movement is one of the most shameful things I have ever seen on cable news.
May 2, 2024 â€¢ 
Jack Mirkinson
136

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CNN's Disgraceful Propaganda
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No Hell Is Hot Enough for Joe Biden
I hope he’s faced with the horror he’s wrought when judgment comes to meet him.
Jan 17 â€¢ 
Katherine Krueger
84

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No Hell Is Hot Enough for Joe Biden
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