Wisconsin Progressive Hits Back At David Axelrod Calling Her Unelectable ‘Faculty Lounge Exotica’

(Hong campaign via AP)

Veteran Democratic Party political operative David Axelrod drew a rebuke from leading Democratic Party candidate for governor of Wisconsin Francesca Hong this week after he argued that her losing the primary would be a boost to Abdul El-Sayed’s chances in Michigan.

“It would be good for @AbdulElSayed if Francesca Hong loses her bid to become the Democratic nominee in Wisconsin next week,” Axelrod wrote Thursday on X, adding:

He is a serious person. She is a font of zany liberal, faculty lounge exotica. But the Rs, hoping to deflect attention from an unpopular @POTUS who hangs from them like an anchor, would surely try and link Abdul and Hong as philosophical kin.

Hong hit back, “This tweet is a perfect example of why the consultant class keeps losing elections. They’re totally clueless, and they’re hellbent on keeping working-class people out of politics.”

“I’ve spent more time in kitchens than faculty lounges. Perhaps you’d like to come to Wisconsin and work a Friday night dinner rush with me? P.S. @ me next time,” Hong added.

Axelrod hit back on Friday, writing, “Ask yourselves this question: Do you really think Republicans have poured $3 million into ads in Wisconsin denouncing Francesca Hong as “too liberal” to defeat her in a DEMOCRATIC primary?!? They don’t fear her as a candidate. They WANT her to WIN!”

Hong’s presumptive GOP general election opponent, Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI), has been having a field day with some of Hong’s past statements and tweets. Tiffany’s social media account is rife with his retweeting and commenting on her past statements on everything for her dislike for Christmas and Thanksgiving to defunding the police.

Hong wrote on Friday that Tiffany is “is strangely obsessed with my tweets. It’s because he has no positive vision for our economy and is desperate to distract from what this election is really about: delivering permanent affordability for working people in Wisconsin.”

Tiffany hit back, “My vision: Lower taxes, root out fraud, return the surplus, protect our farmland, and keep families safe. Hong’s vision: Abolish the police, prisons, ICE, the Senate, Thanksgiving, some private businesses, and complain about ‘too many old white people.’ Did I miss anything?”

The exchange was a likely preview of what the general election campaign will look like should Hong win her primary next Tuesday.

__

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!