Jon Ossoff’s Worst Week In Politics
From failing to reach his self-imposed goal of 50% in Tuesday’s primary to being called a “terrible candidate” by fellow Democrats, Jon Ossoff had a no good, awful week. Here are a few highlights:
TUESDAY
Ossoff failed to win the primary outright, despite setting expectations throughout the campaign saying the goal was to win on April 18, and not go to a runoff
The Washington Post: “First, just to state the obvious, the Democrats fell short of their goal. They tried to pitch the special election as a referendum on President Trump, but that message failed. It seems strange, but today’s liberals invested a huge amount of money, media attention, and hopes and dreams in a 30-year-old straight, white Southern male. I think it points to the bewilderment within the Democratic Party.” (Ed Rogers, “Who Are the Democrats?”, The Washington Post, 4/19/17)
WEDNESDAY
Democrats criticized Ossoff for being a “terrible candidate” and using an “outdated way to try to win”
The New York Times’ Glenn Thrush: “My inbox this morning has been flooded by Democrats who are sort of saying Ossoff was a terrible candidate.” (MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 4/19/17)
CNN: “Ossoff, on election day, still didn’t have a very good answer for why he doesn’t live in the district and, therefore, can’t vote for himself…Ossoff is 30 years old but looks younger. Ninety-five percent of his funding in the primary came from out-of-state donors. Actress Alyssa Milano was a vocal advocate for him; actor Samuel L. Jackson recorded a radio ad for Ossoff.” (Chris Cillizza, “Jon Ossoff doesn’t live in his district. That might be a problem, CNN, 4/19/17)
“Add those factors to Ossoff not living in the district and you have a potentially potent political cocktail: This guy’s just not one of us.” (Chris Cillizza, “Jon Ossoff doesn’t live in his district. That might be a problem, CNN, 4/19/17)
Democrats’ expectations are so “out of hand,” Jon Ossoff is “young, unproven, and does not even live in the district”
The Washington Post: “Finally, we’ve come to the Democrats’ latest initiative — electing Jon Ossoff to a historically Republican district in Georgia. How did they let their expectations get so out of hand? On its face, Democrats should have hedged at least a little. Their candidate is young, unproven and does not even live in the district he is running to represent. Expectations for a victory had not been this high for a Democrat since Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign.” (Ed Rogers, “Who Are the Democrats?” The Washington Post, 4/19/17)
THURSDAY
Sharp criticism over Ossoff living outside of the district he wants to represent continued on MSNBC’s Morning Joe..
The Washington Post’s Robert Costa: “I was struck by conversations with voters where they weren’t talking about the outside groups or even President Trump. It was about whether Jon Ossoff, 30 years old, lives in the district and whether he should move into the district. Local issues.” (MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 4/20/17)
Costa: “Candidate recruitment matters. You have to get people who live in these districts, who are effective in coalescing Democrats around them. You saw Senator Sanders make a comment yesterday is Jon Ossoff a progressive or not? He doesn’t know.” (MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 4/20/17)
Washington Free Beacon: “Ossoff failed to mention that his campaign, which already raised over $8 million for the special election, has been the recipient of Pelosi’s help on the fundraising support.” (Brent Scher, “Jon Ossoff Dodges On Support For Nancy Pelosi, Has Taken Money From Her,” Washington Free Beacon, 4/20/17)
Bernie Sanders keeps Ossoff at “arms-length,” to only then endorse Ossoff after horrible press and liberals ranting on social media
The Washington Post: “But the most puzzling development this week is Sanders’ decision to keep Georgia special election candidate Jon Ossoff at arms-length. Sanders hasn’t endorsed Ossoff, and in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, he seemed to suggest Ossoff’s progressive bona fides were in question.” (Aaron Blake, “Bernie Sanders’ strange behavior,” The Washington Post, 4/20/17)
FRIDAY
Ossoff was called out for sneaking out of a Democratic dinner early for political expediency
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “But here’s another thought: The disappearing act allows Ossoff, who’s clearly running to the center, to say that he wasn’t in the room when that firebrand, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters of California, rose to perform her job as the evening’s keynote speaker.” (Political Insider, “A theory behind Jon Ossoff’s early exit last night,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 4/21/17)
Ossoff didn’t vote in the 2012 presidential election, or Tuesday’s GA-06 primary since he is ineligible to vote in the district he wants to represent
CNN: “Democratic congressional candidate Jon Ossoff didn’t vote in the 2012 presidential election because he was studying at the London School of Economics at the time… Ossoff could have voted by absentee ballot, as he did in 2016.” (Andrew Kaczynski, “Jon Ossoff didn’t vote in 2012 presidential election because he was studying abroad, campaign says,” CNN, 4/21/17)