Sen. Katie Britt
By Mark Sumner for Daily Kos
Daily Kos Staff
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There's something about a Republican response to the State of the Union address that inevitably generates a field day for comedians. Whether it’s Marco Rubio getting so very thirsty, or Bobby Jindal going from darling of the party to has-been in 15 minutes flat, the route between SOTU response and “Saturday Night” Live cold open is often one short, straight line.
But on Thursday evening, those sticking around to hear Alabama Sen. Katie Britt’s rebuttal might have been forgiven for believing that the process had been streamlined, because Britt’s speech already seemed like an “SNL” skit. From the faux kitchen setting, to the going all out for the lead in the seventh-grade production of “The Crucible” energy, to the garb that reminded many viewers of a character from “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Britt’s performance might be the response to end all responses.
And really, why not do that? Just end it. Despite an old Washington Post headline proclaiming that the State of the Union response is “the worst job in politics. But somebody has to do it” … the reality is that no one has to do it. The SOTU response isn’t in the Constitution. There is no law. This is a completely made-up thing designed as an excuse to give the opposing party some free air time.
The biggest puzzle of the night might be why, when they keep getting burned, Republicans insist on plopping their hands right back on this hot stove.
On Thursday night, Republicans handed off the response duties to their youngest female Senate member, apparently hoping for a stark contrast with old Joe Biden. Maybe they had been listening to their own statements about Biden being ancient, slow, and unable to deliver a good speech for so long that they actually believed them. Maybe Britt just found herself drawing the short straw in whatever arcane process Republicans use to select the next sacrificial victim.
Whatever the reason, she was propped up in a kitchen set so devoid of life it made an IKEA display seem warm, then left to wander through a whispery, dystopian hellscape that sometimes seemed like a test for whether it’s possible to combine a political speech with ASMR.
It was so awful that, as Rolling Stone reports, Republican commentators were burning down Britt’s performance in real time.
All of it becomes infinitely funnier if you are privy to the document that was circulated by Britt’s office before she spoke. That document gave tips on how pundits might describe her follow-up to Biden.
It suggested that reporters might say things such as, “She came off like America’s mom—she gets it.” Or, “She’s one of us. That’ll be families’ takeaway watching this.”
But to show that Britt wasn’t entirely manufactured in Stepford, there were also some more serious suggestions.
“The conclusion of her border section was a real ‘Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall,’ moment,” read one proposed talking point. If that wasn’t enough of the Gipper, the document also suggested that reporters might say the speech was “reminiscent of Reagan’s message of that Shining City on a Hill.”
Only Britt’s speech was more “Silent Hill” than shining city. How far into cosmic horror did Britt’s uplifting speech wander? About this far.
It was bad—so bad. But at least Britt can go to work on Friday knowing she is still the best senator from Alabama.
On one hand, everything about this speech seems to be either horrifying or hilarious. It’s like watching a car crash after slipping on a banana peel, with narration provided by a soap opera-reject.
On the other hand, maybe putting Britt on stage and instructing her to emote through a description of a fallen America was a genius move. After all, the thousands of instant memes that followed are taking up oxygen that would otherwise be spent lavishing praise on Biden’s forceful and energetic speech.
And now America can discuss how best to export this unexpected meme surplus.
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