We’re all going to die? Senator Ernst and the arrogance of power
Leave sarcasm to the pros
When I first saw Senator Ernst’s remark on Friday that “we all are going to die”, I thought, well, everybody is capable of slipping up and saying something dumb.
Then I saw what most journalists have described as her “sarcastic” response on Saturday, and my first thought was – I wonder if she’s losing it.
Seriously, it was not a good look for her. It wasn’t funny. It starts out with her super-serious tone of voice offering an apology for the original remark, and then, without any attempt at signaling that she was doubling down, she says she’s glad she didn’t bring up the tooth fairy to the Iowans in the room. It certainly wasn’t sarcastic. The only word for it is – insulting. As if Iowans are so backwards – can you imagine? – that they might have their feelings hurt to learn the tooth fairy isn’t real. Wow. Zing. She showed them.
Although it’s possible Ernst might be losing it, what I suspect is that she’s got a bad case of self-importance. It happens to politicians. They get so used to everybody bowing down in servitude, running errands for them, begging for time with them, telling them how great they are that when somebody talks back to them, or heaven forbid, tells them “You’re wrong,” they can’t handle it. They freak out. They’re not used to it, and they don’t like it.
Senator Ernst is nearing the end of her second six-year term. She went to DC with humble stories about “making them squeal” and wearing bread bags over her shoes. But the lights got real bright, real quick. After only three weeks in the U.S. Senate, the GOP picked her to give the nationally televised Republican response to President Obama’s state of the union speech in 2015.
It must be humbling to leave the trappings of her plush office and return to Iowa only to get yelled at by common folk.
Rather than apologize, she released the tooth fairy video in an attempt, I guess, at making fun of the situation. But she did not stick the landing. And to add insult on top of insult, she closes with, “But for those of you who would like to see eternal and everlasting life, I encourage you to embrace my lord and savior, Jesus Christ.”
What the? What message does that send to non-Christian Iowans? Who follows up an attempt at sarcasm with a reference to their lord and savior?
It’s just plain weird. She should leave the sarcasm to the pros. Like Stephen Colbert, who’s back with a new show tonight. I expect it’ll be a master class in sarcasm and snark about Ernst’s wacky weekend.
Don’t let Iowans forget the insult
A final point. When Ernst first ran for the Senate in 2014, her campaign beat the pants off Democratic opponent Bruce Braley over one comment he made at a fundraiser. Braley, a lawyer, told a room full of lawyers they should elect him because if Republicans won the Senate, “…you might have a farmer from Iowa who never went to law school, never practiced law, serving as the next chair of the Judiciary Committee.”
That farmer? Chuck Grassley. Ernst’s campaign ran Braley’s comment for months on end in attack ads, as if Braley somehow had insulted both Grassley AND farmers. It turns out Braley was right, but it didn’t matter because he lost, Grassley took over Judiciary and went on to stonewall President Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court.
So, whoever runs against Senator Ernst next year should have a field day with clips of “we’re all going to die” and “I’m really glad I did not have to bring up the tooth fairy.” They should run it and run it and run it, just like Ernst did to Braley. Because Ernst’s remarks are ten-times more insulting to Iowans than anything Braley said.
Don’t let Iowans – the people who elected Ernst, people who have legitimate concerns about Medicaid cuts, people who have a right to be treated with respect by their U.S. Senator and her taxpayer-funded platinum health insurance plan – forget it.
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Her self-righteous, condescending snark should make every Iowan recoil in disgust. Why do so many Republicans think they only need to represent the views of the constituents that voted for them, or that ascribe to the MAGA religion? You need to support and legislate for ALL Iowans, Joni. Wipe that holier-than-thou smirk off your face. If you're truly a Christian, show it by following the teachings of Jesus like compassion, care and understanding for the weak and needy.
Thanks, Dave. I was offended by her original comment—now, I am insulted and really pissed off. First, the tooth fairy comment, then her reference to her lord and savior. What the…? Just who does she think she is? I know her as the woman who COULD and SHOULD have stopped Hegseth, but caved; the Doge supporter who never squealed about Musk ending all the agencies with active investigations against him and who continues to parrot the Waste Fraud and Abuse mantra while remaining silent (and complicit) about the corruption emanating from the White House. You are correct, Iowans must remember and make sure we all remember those silly, arrogant comments. BTW—her taxpayer funded gold plated health care program we pay for will be hers for all of her life—unlike those working poor Iowans who are at the mercy of politicians who are on the hunt for waste, fraud, etc, etc.