A discussion over who in the political world is hot and who’s not popped off this Monday on Fox News’ “The Five.”
This discussion on “The Five” was inspired by a Bulwark article about “hot” candidates. Written by Lauren Egan, the article suggested that Democrats need to run more “hot” people to win more elections.
“The idea that the Democratic party has a hotness deficit it needs to address has come up repeatedly in conversations I’ve had over the past few months as I’ve talked to strategists about what the party can do to improve how it’s perceived,” Egan wrote.
“Yes, they say, Democrats need to shed litmus tests, put aside purity politics, and drop the academic-sounding language. But they also would benefit from simply having more thirst-traps on the ticket, more candidates who could make voters swoon,” she added.
The discussion on Fox News began with co-host Dana Perino questioning Egan’s premise by pointing to former Vice President Kamala Harris:
“To me, Kamala Harris was an objectively beautiful person, and she couldn’t win, so I don’t think that’s what it is,” Perino insisted.
But fellow co-host Jesse Watters wasn’t so sure about that.
“I have to disagree with Dana,” he said. “I didn’t think Kamala was hot.”
Somewhat agreeing with Watters, co-host Greg Gutfeld added, “No, she was attractive.”
Perino then cut in to explain herself better, saying, “I said she was beautiful — I didn’t say hot.”
Some critics have accused Harris of having a lizard neck.
What the heck is going on with Kamala’s neck? Apparently sitting on your ass and doing nothing for 4 years isn’t good for the skin. pic.twitter.com/Mvc0E9rACp
— Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) September 19, 2024
Gutfeld then briefly cut in to suggest that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez might be a “hot” candidate. Watters disagreed.
“I’m not going to go there,” he said before turning back to Harris.
“I don’t know. I mean, she was okay. But if we’re talking hot, she’s not hot,” he argued. “Did you ever see the politicians before television? It was like old fat guys with no hair, with like mutton chop sideburns. So, TV is the thing.”
“You’ve got to have a good-looking person, and now I like the fact that Democrats have gone from like, we need a transgender native American amputee, to just someone who is hot. And I feel like that’s progress,” he added.
Co-host Jessica Tarlov, the resident leftist, then cut in to call the whole conversation “ridiculous” and insist that the Bulwark article was on point because it now has Democrats “talking like normal people.”
“It’s not that complicated. They’re talking like normal people, which you guys have been begging us to do for quite some time,” she said. “Jon Ossoff is really good at his job. He’s also attractive. … AOC is very hot.
Gretchen Whitmer is very hot. Kamala Harris is very, all right, whatever. Maybe not.”
“You don’t want to go on a date with Gretchen Whitmer. She won’t go on a date with you either. I’m just saying all of this is ridiculous.
You you want to be in good shape, so you stay alive, if you do decide that you want to run for president,” she added.
Earlier in the discussion, Gutfeld mocked Democrats for the about-face they’ve made on physical attractiveness.
“What happened to your love for the body positive, non-binary activists who stopped shaving and bathing to protest capitalism?” he asked. “Here’s the problem. You can find a hot candidate, but who’s going to buy it? People aren’t attracted to ugly ideas. You know, hot people, speaking as one, I don’t want to protect criminals or butcher kids.”
“Beautiful people like good ideas. It’s a fact. And winners are attractive, and people want to associate with winners. And if you’re on the wrong end of every issue, that makes you a loser. And also, and I think you’ll agree with me, beauty is truth, and truth is beauty. There’s something ugly about deception,” he added.
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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