Latest news with #DemocraticConvention
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘State of Firsts' Review: Trans Congresswoman Sarah McBride Steps Into the Spotlight for a Doc That's More Than Your Average Political Puff Piece
'Representation' takes two forms in Chase Joynt's new documentary, State of Firsts. The 93-minute film, premiering at Tribeca, follows Sarah McBride's quest to be elected to Congress, representing the state of Delaware; as she's aspiring to be in the House of Representatives, she's also on the verge of making history as the first openly trans member of Congress. McBride is proud of both kinds of representation, but she's pragmatic. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'Andy Kaufman Is Me' Review: Solid but Unrevelatory Doc Uses Puppetry to Tackle the Iconic Comic 'Boy George & Culture Club' Review: An Affectionate Look at the '80s Band and Its Flamboyant Frontman That Entertains but Treads Too Carefully 'Sovereign' Review: Nick Offerman's Fierce Turn as an Anti-Government Extremist Boosts a Timely Drama McBride is a joyful trailblazer and a calculating politician, and Joynt's willingness to feature both sides of her personality is what finally makes State of Firsts more than just a hagiographic puff piece. It would have been easy for Joynt and editor Chris McNabb to trim away the 'politician' side of McBride's personality and let her be the uncomplicated icon that many of her supporters will probably want to see represented — that word again — here. Instead, they show an increasingly public figure at a crossroads for her and for the country, and suggest why McBride may have the mettle to chart a career that embraces her various 'firsts' while positioning herself for substantive further chapters. State of Firsts traces McBride's life from mid-2024 to early 2025, as she goes from an already precedent-shattering tenure as a Delaware state rep to a Congressional candidate — only to become one of the most visible figures of the country when Donald Trump and the Republican Party latch onto virulent transphobia as a wedge issue. Joynt begins the documentary with Delaware's own Joe Biden as president, but he has just completed the disastrous debate that became a catalyst for his exit from the presidential race. We follow McBride as she does the grunt work of retail politics, from knocking on doors to opening campaign offices to a debate that her opponent opts not to attend. She pushes back against intimations that she's running as a trans candidate and not a Delaware candidate, promising that her assortment of pet issues — healthcare, paid family leave, economic insecurity — will be relevant to the state where she was born and raised. Still, she knows that the 'first' guaranteed to come up in interviews isn't related to Delaware's state nickname. I don't know how to precisely describe McBride's attitude toward the inevitable trans-themed questions that she faces in every interview, toward the pressure to address issues of identity even in standard speeches, toward the fact that the 2024 Democratic Convention didn't have a trans speaker on the main stage's lineup. It isn't 'reluctance' and it isn't 'exhaustion.' It isn't 'wariness,' but it may be 'awareness' — awareness that no matter how much she says 'I'm running on behalf of the people of Delaware,' there will always be an AND or BUT that gets brought into the discussion. Circumstances, as casual observers of current events know, get even more heightened. After the election, South Carolina Representative Nancy Mace — who responded to her own experience breaking gender barriers at an entrenched institution (the Citadel) by becoming a cartoonish bully rather than developing an iota of empathy — uses McBride's bathroom use as a way to gain her own share of the spotlight. McBride's responses become a referendum even within her own community. It's an open question as to whether Joynt's very presence is a further source of McBride's self-conscious awareness. Despite McBride repeated emphasis that she's a Delaware candidate and not a trans candidate, the director's interest often seems just as trans-focused as that of the media. A rare exception to that angle comes when a constituent wants to engage McBride on issues related to the Israel/Gaza conflict — and even then, it's obvious that while McBride knows her ideological position, this isn't really the issue she wants to talk about either. Long stretches of the documentary feature McBride, Joynt and usually McBride's perpetually anxious campaign manager driving in cars. In those scenes, McBride's answers to the director's questions are thoughtful, passionate and, if you've seen other interviews with her, delivered with consistent preparedness or prepared consistency. Often State of Firsts is a film about a woman doing interviews while she waits to do more interviews. When McBride isn't answering the director's questions and when Joynt is able to fade into the background, the documentary, which asserts little visual style other than fly-on-the-wall presence, is able to witness moments that showcase the unguarded McBride. Family gatherings and backstage meetings show McBride's vulnerability, dorky sense of humor and general passion for the political process. Much more than when she's making statements or espousing messages, it's these glimpses that allow State of Firsts to pack an emotional punch when she fields a congratulatory call from President Biden, hugs a trans constituent, or briefly takes in the joy that her parents and siblings feel as they walk down the hall on her first day at the Capitol. Whether we're seeing McBride the person or McBride the politician, McBride the Delaware rep or McBride the trans pioneer, State of Firsts portrays a young person realizing she can't avoid being all of these things at once — and facing, perhaps for the first time, the idea that she can't be a perfect representative of everything at all times. That's more interesting than if State of Firsts were just a love letter. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Letters to the Editor: Democrats need to find more effective strategies than stooping to name-calling
To the editor: I appreciate columnist Mark Z. Barabak's report on the Democratic Convention in Anaheim, but it was very disappointing to read that name-calling and profanity (common with Republicans) have now become the language of Democrats ('Yelling, finger-pointing and cursing galore as California Democrats gather near Disneyland,' June 2). President Trump degraded all political rhetoric with his daily cursing and insulting, but I always expected that Democrats would not succumb to his level (remember 'when they go low …"?). But now they are calling Trump a 'punk" and 'the orange oligarch,' and Sen. Adam Schiff even commented, "We say to bullies, you can go f— yourself.' Really? Does he think that makes him sound tougher? It certainly doesn't make him sound smarter. Instead of copying Republicans' boorish behavior, Democrats need to find a strong new leader who offers effective strategies and solutions instead of engaging in name-calling or resorting to juvenile and vulgar swearing. As a Democrat, I find it sad and embarrassing. I think it makes us look weak without any real ideas for leadership. Kendall Wolf, Encino .. To the editor: As someone who spent most of her adult life in Minnesota, it doesn't shock me that Gov. Tim Walz would use what some Minnesotans might call 'salty' or 'spicy' language when trying to make amends to California Democrats for the 2024 electoral losses. I learned early on that even the legendary 'Minnesota nice' has limits. You push Minnesotans too hard, or do something they consider far too wrong, and you might be called a 'dips—' or even worse. Still, they may later apologize for feeling compelled to employ such strong language. Mary Stanik, Tucson This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
04-06-2025
- General
- Los Angeles Times
Letters to the Editor: Democrats need to find more effective strategies than stooping to name-calling
To the editor: I appreciate columnist Mark Z. Barabak's report on the Democratic Convention in Anaheim, but it was very disappointing to read that name-calling and profanity (common with Republicans) have now become the language of Democrats ('Yelling, finger-pointing and cursing galore as California Democrats gather near Disneyland,' June 2). President Trump degraded all political rhetoric with his daily cursing and insulting, but I always expected that Democrats would not succumb to his level (remember 'when they go low …'?). But now they are calling Trump a 'punk' and 'the orange oligarch,' and Sen. Adam Schiff even commented, 'We say to bullies, you can go f— yourself.' Really? Does he think that makes him sound tougher? It certainly doesn't make him sound smarter. Instead of copying Republicans' boorish behavior, Democrats need to find a strong new leader who offers effective strategies and solutions instead of engaging in name-calling or resorting to juvenile and vulgar swearing. As a Democrat, I find it sad and embarrassing. I think it makes us look weak without any real ideas for leadership. Kendall Wolf, Encino .. To the editor: As someone who spent most of her adult life in Minnesota, it doesn't shock me that Gov. Tim Walz would use what some Minnesotans might call 'salty' or 'spicy' language when trying to make amends to California Democrats for the 2024 electoral losses. I learned early on that even the legendary 'Minnesota nice' has limits. You push Minnesotans too hard, or do something they consider far too wrong, and you might be called a 'dips—' or even worse. Still, they may later apologize for feeling compelled to employ such strong language. Mary Stanik, Tucson
Los Angeles Times
03-06-2025
- General
- Los Angeles Times
LA Times Today: California Democrats try to figure out how to win national elections again
Minnesota governor and former vice presidential candidate Tim Walz served a wakeup call at the Democratic Convention in Anaheim this weekend. Walz spoke to a crowd of thousands arguing that a lack of leadership and divisions within the party have weakened the fight against many are asking what's next for the future of the Democratic Party. L.A. Times reporter Laura Nelson joined Lisa McRee to discuss what we need to know.
Forbes
01-06-2025
- General
- Forbes
Elon Musk Accuses Cory Booker Of Nazi Salute
Elon Musk—who drew criticism earlier this year after making a gesture many alleged was a Nazi salute—accused Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., of doing a Nazi salute on stage at an event for California Democrats on Saturday night. Elon Musk gestures as he speaks during a news conference with President Donald Trump in the Oval ... More Office of the White House, Friday, May 30, 2025, in Washington. Booker was speaking at the California Democratic Convention Saturday night, and ended his speech by placing his hand on his heart and extending his arm toward the crowd in a motion Musk and others have said resembled the Nazi salute. Musk began sharing posts about Booker's gesture around 9 p.m. EDT Saturday night, and he quote-tweeted a post about the incident and lack of media coverage with the caption, 'Legacy media lies.' He continued to tweet about it Sunday morning, when he shared a post showing Democratic leaders former President Barack Obama, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Mass. and former presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton with their arms extended and the caption, 'We know where Cory Booker learned his Nazi salute from'—and Musk added a '🤨' emoji. Booker has not publicly commented on the gesture, and Forbes reached out to his office for comment. Musk drew criticism in January after he pounded his fist to his chest and extended his right arm into the air twice while speaking at an event for President Donald Trump's inauguration. International leaders including Spain's minister of labor and social economy and Germany's health minister criticized the gesture, as did a number of Democrats. Musk didn't explain why he made the motion, but said in posts on X at the time that Democrats were playing 'dirty tricks' and that 'the 'everyone is Hitler' attack is sooo tired.' One month after Musk's incident, another Trump ally, Steve Bannon—who was feuding with Musk at the time over his close relationship with Trump—was accused of giving a Nazi salute when he spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Bannon denied making the salute and told the Daily Mail it 'was a wave to the crowd.' After Musk was accused of making the motion, the Anti-Defamation League—a nonprofit working against antisemitism—said in a statement that Musk seemed to make 'an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute,' and urged people on 'all sides (to) give one another a bit of grace.' The ADL had not publicly commented on the allegations against Booker, though Forbes has reached out for comment. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., also took to X Sunday morning to criticize Booker. In her post she said Democrats 'were hyperventilating about this false smear of Elon,' when he was accused of doing the salute in January and added 'the mainstream media is totally corrupt.' Stefanik also continued: 'The American people are smart. Neither Elon Musk or @CoryBooker are giving the Nazi salute. Americans see thru this obvious and destructive double standard by the totally broken media and Democrat Party.' Musk responded to the post with, 'they are such hypocrites,' presumably referring to the media. 9. That's how many times Musk had tweeted or shared posts about Booker's gesture as of 12:55 p.m. EDT on Sunday. Elon Musk 'Salute' Condemned By European Leaders, Democrats (Forbes) French Far-Right Leader Cancels CPAC Speech After Steve Bannon's Salute Draws Nazi Comparisons (Forbes)
