It’s been an amazing week.
Blood pressure, sleep, breathing, general contentment and peace of mind, yadda yadda yadda you all know because you’re experiencing the same thing.
I’ve been dumbfounded by how good Jen Psaki is at her job. Today’s rollout of the “American Made” executive order was stunningly good. Biden’s overruling his staff to insist on taking a question from Fox News’s Peter Doocy was political savvy at its best, and his answer to said question was great. The bulldoglike tenacity of every member of the administration in staying relentlessly on message has been a thing of beauty to behold — unprecedented (but not in the way that word was so frequently used to describe the previous maladministration).
The pervasive calm and competence emanating from this White House are enough to make any political junkie swoon.
But all of that pales in comparison with the thing that has set my heart all a-flutter this week:
The re-labeling of the “Covid relief package” as the “American Rescue Plan.”
Why has this minor change of wording been the pinnacle of the mountain of joy-inducing events of the past week?
It tells me that, for the first time in my adult life, Democrats are finally showing some interest in, and competence at, branding.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but imho branding is one of the factors at the core of the vast quantity of unearned political power the Republican Party has amassed in recent decades. And the Dems’ consistent unilateral disarmament in the branding battle has been the #1 reason for their frustrating inability to restore that balance of power.
I’m sure something will happen any day now — any minute, even — that will make me thud back to earth, but for now I’m dancing on air.
UPDATE: I did see Schumer stumble, pretty badly, over the phrase “American Rescue Plan” in his interview with Rachel tonight, but I’m sure this branding thing is very new to him. I’m feeling magnanimous; will give him some grace to learn a new skill.