Jon Ossoff Isn't Ready For Primetime

Jon Ossoff Isn’t Ready For Primetime

Jon Ossoff’s campaign has been on the defensive this week after the Washington Post exposed another example of Ossoff embellishing his resume. Specifically the Post reported that Ossoff had been “misleading” Georgia voters about the true extent of his “national security experience.” Ossoff’s troubling day culminated when he went on MSNBC yesterday afternoon and was […]

April 4, 2017

Jon Ossoff’s campaign has been on the defensive this week after the Washington Post exposed another example of Ossoff embellishing his resume. Specifically the Post reported that Ossoff had been “misleading” Georgia voters about the true extent of his “national security experience.”

Ossoff’s troubling day culminated when he went on MSNBC yesterday afternoon and was confronted by Andrea Mitchell. As the clip shows, Ossoff could only dodge the question:

Given that Ossoff has been exaggerating his experience dealing with national security and foreign policy issues, it’s no surprise that the 30-year-old candidate would have trouble answering questions about his foreign policy philosophy. When a reporter with New York asked Ossoff to “explain his ideal foreign policy” he could only offer platitudes:

“Asked to explain his ideal foreign policy, he said simply, ‘Tough and smart,’ before finally explaining that meant avoiding quagmires like the Iraq War but adding that there aren’t any members of Congress who come to mind whose foreign policy aligns closely with his.”

In the same interview, when asked to describe his political philosophy, Ossoff gave such an anodyne answer that the reporter should be commended for not falling asleep during the 42 seconds Ossoff paused to think about his response:

“And when I asked him to describe his political philosophy for me — an innocuous-enough question for someone hoping to become one of 435 Americans serving in the House, he said, ‘It’s a good question,’ before pausing for 42 seconds. ‘I think I would say focused on accountability and, um,’ he said, eventually, before pausing again, ‘as an objective that can break the partisan divide.”

Ossoff’s inability to answer basic questions is a function of his inexperience. Earlier in the magazine profile, Ossoff commented that he speaks so deliberately because he doesn’t want to give Republicans an opening to attack him. Yet his hesitation once again exposed that he’s not ready for Congress. A truly experienced candidate wouldn’t need to worry that they’d make a gaffe. They’d just say what they believe. When voters go to the polls two weeks from today, Ossoff’s complete lack of qualifications will prevent this darling of DC liberals from winning.