Three cheers for ‘Let’s Go Brandon’

WASHINGTON » As someone who served six years in the White House, I have a deep respect for the office of the presidency — even when I don’t particularly like or respect the current occupant. So when chants of “F— Joe Biden!” began to spontaneously erupt at college football games, National Football League games and even the Ryder Cup, I was not a fan.

But “Let’s go Brandon!”? Now, that’s a whole different story.

The “Let’s go Brandon!” chant emerged at Alabama’s Talladega Superspeedway, while NBC reporter Kelli Stavast was interviewing NASCAR

driver Brandon Brown. As the raucous crowd behind him broke into a loud “F— Joe Biden” chant, Stavast told Brown “You can hear the chants from the crowd — let’s go Brandon!” Anyone watching knew that was not what the crowd was saying. Suddenly a meme was born. Instead of “F— Joe Biden” crowds at sporting events began chanting “Let’s go Brandon!” instead. The phrase has been emblazoned on Tshirts, highway billboards and banners flown behind planes over football stadiums.

Count me among those in favor of the new chant.

First, it replaces a vulgar epithet with a sarcastic commentary on Biden’s disastrous presidency. The focus shifts from insulting Biden the person, to well justified mockery of Biden’s catastrophic actions in office. Worst inflation in 30 years? Let’s go Brandon! Gas prices up $1.31 a gallon since his election? Let’s go Brandon! Home heating prices skyrocketing? Let’s go Brandon! Self-inflicted crisis at the southern border? Let’s go Brandon! Left hundreds of Americans behind in Afghanistan? Let’s go Brandon! Can’t find a Thanksgiving turkey or the Christmas gifts your kids want because store shelves are bare? Let’s go Brandon! Approval rating dropped to 36%? Let’s go Brandon!

Second, the new chant literally arose from “fake news” — a reporter misreporting what an anti-Biden crowd was saying. The moment encapsulated everything that many conservatives find wrong with the