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If Republicans don’t want to be called “weird,” they have a funny way of showing it.

What was once a party of stuffy conservatives has turned into a motley crew of colorful characters… many of whom are so strange that they almost seem cartoonish.

And Republicans themselves know that the “weird” shoe fits, which is why they are complaining so much about it.

This whole “they’re weird” argument from the Democrats is dumb & juvenile. This is a presidential election, not a high school prom queen contest. It’s also a tad ironic coming from the party that preaches “diversity & inclusion.” Win on policy if you can, but cut the crap please.

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) July 29, 2024

Yes, Vivek, why would anybody refer to a party that has turned itself into a cult led by a name-calling and shark-obsessed manbaby as “weird?”

And what’s odd about idolizing (in the biblical sense) this man (or him amplifying content in which he is depicted as a messianic figure, or with Jesus by his side)?

Finally, why won’t Democrats engage in policy debates on the issues that are most important to Republicans, like which books to ban, or whether women have to keep track of their menstrual cycles so the government can determine whether they traveled across state lines to have an abortion?

Because, when you stop and think about these things, then you realize that they are all really bizarre.

And that’s what the Democrats’ new offensive has accomplished.

Americans, perhaps numb to the GOP’s craziness before, are looking at the former president and his MAGA cult in a different way… and they clearly don’t like what they are seeing.

Obviously, that starts with Trump himself.

Republicans would prefer it if they could condense his two-hour speeches into a handful of soundbites that encapsulate the entirety of the GOP’s platform that they want voters to see: “Immigrants bad,” “drill, baby, drill,” “inflation is killing the American dream.”

That’s it.

But that part would only take a couple of minutes.

The rest of Trump’s appearances are filled with sheer insanity — whether that’s riffs on sharks or battery-operated planes that can’t fly when the sun isn’t out, his musings on fictional cannibals, his absurd self-aggrandizement, and an avalanche of lies.

Oh, and he should also stay off social media or it will become too apparent that he is nuts.

Of course, it’s not just Trump.

Think about how many Republicans seem like caricatures of Republicans instead of real people.

There are so many that, if screenwriters were tasked with coming up with characters for a political sitcom about Congress, their description of actual lawmakers would seem outlandish.

Writer 1: What if we had a congresswoman who is a complete QAnon conspiracy theorist?

Writer 2: I love it. Could we also make her a CrossFit enthusiast with no relevant experience who also refuses to wear sleeves?

Writer 3: Guys, let’s keep it believable.

Writer 1: Speaking of a lack of experience, maybe there could be a senator who used to be a mediocre college football coach but is also really dumb.

Writer 2: You mean like an unlikeable, stupid version of Ted Lasso?

Writer 1: Exactly!

Writer 3: Don’t be ridiculous. Who is going to believe that a complete moron with no experience could get elected to the Senate?

Writer 1: Let’s turn to the issues. What should this episode be about?

Writer 2: Could we make it about an Olympic boxing match?

Writer 1: You mean an American winning, saying something bad about President Drumpf and then facing backlash from people in his cult?

Writer 2: Oh no. I was thinking more along the lines of Republicans being upset about the eligibility requirements of an Algerian boxer fighting an Italian. And then they could blame this on a Democratic presidential contender!”

Writer 3: That doesn’t make any sense at all.

Writers 1 & 2: Exactly!!!

All of the above sounds really far-fetched, yet, inexplicably, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), as well as many others like her in the House, and Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) in the Senate have indeed been elected.

And if these people don’t deserve to be mocked, then who does?

We (and others) have been pointing this out for years, and made the case that the key to getting under Trump’s skin is to ridicule him. There is nothing malignant narcissists hate more than being laughed at.

Finally, Democrats have figured this out… and it is baffling that it took them this long.

Now that they have cracked the code, however, it is important that they use this new tool judiciously.

There are plenty of really weird things Trump, his running mate JD Vance, and other right-wing figures say and do every day.

Democrats have to focus on those and mercilessly poke fun at the former president and the GOP, for example by coming up with a 200-page document on “Vice President Harris’ Policy on Sharks and Electric Boats.”

That kind of thing has two upsides. On the one hand, it will get under Trump’s and the GOP’s skin. And on the other hand, these are the kinds of things journalists like to cover because they provide a change of pace from the drudgery of a pretty dumb election cycle.

It’s also perfectly fine to point out the absurdity of someone like Vance going after a popular childless actress because she dared to criticize him for insensitive comments he made.  

What Democrats must not do is slap the “weird” label on anything they disagree with.

“Republicans want to lower the corporate tax rate by three percent. That’s just strange!” or “The GOP says inflation was too high over the past years. These guys are cuckoo!” are not effective uses of this new strategy.

If Harris and other Democrats can find the right balance here, then poking fun at Republicans will yield great benefits. If not, they risk alienating voters.

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