A rally’s warmup act says what the main act won’t
A state legislator's bold remarks clash with the Senate hopeful's cautious stance.
The story
A Democratic state legislator at a Senate rally called for abolishing ICE and legalizing marijuana, contrasting with the Senate hopeful's more moderate stance on ICE.
Source: www.foxnews.com
Our reading
Malik Williams, a state legislator, called for abolishing ICE at a rally for James Talarico, who has previously supported dismantling the agency but now denies it. The contrast is so sharp it could be a political version of a split personality, except the split is between two people who are supposed to be on the same team.
Williams’ speech was the kind of thing that makes campaign managers nervous, because it’s one thing to be a firebrand on the stump, and another to be a firebrand on the same stage as the guy you’re trying to get elected. Talarico’s team must be wondering if they accidentally booked a double booking with a different candidate.
It’s not just the policy flip-flop that’s odd, but the fact that Williams is the one who’s actually saying the thing that sounds like a real plan, while Talarico is the one hedging. It’s like a debate where one person is giving a speech and the other is giving a disclaimer.
