What Elizabeth Warren’s failed beer stunt tells us about politics

Women face a Catch-22 when it comes to authenticity

Which candidate would you most want to have a beer with? This question, posed during nearly every North American election, is supposed to gauge the so-called “relatability” of the candidates on the ballot: a vague and shallow characteristic that has nothing to do with political leadership and most definitely should not determine elections, and yet, so often does.

Enter Elizabeth Warren, the Democratic senator from Massachusetts who this Monday (New Year’s Eve) announced plans to launch an Exploratory Committee for United States President, a move indicating she will most likely make a run for the White House in 2020.

But it looks like Warren couldn’t wait a year for pundits and pollsters to start asking the obligatory beer question. Instead she tried to answer it herself.

On New Year’s Eve, in a video streamed live to Instagram from her own kitchen, the 69-year-old Democrat briefly greets her followers on camera before announcing, as Al Bundy might, “hold on a sec, I’m gonna get me a beer.” Warren then walks away from the camera and returns with a bottle of Michelob Ultra, cracks it open and takes a big swig. Meanwhile her husband Bruce wanders into the kitchen. “This is my sweetie,” she says. “He’s the best. Thank you for being here. I’m glad you’re here.” Warren offers Bruce a beer, but he declines. Warren drinks alone.

Needless to say, the NYE beer spot tanked with nearly everyone,especially, the twist-off beer drinkers of the world: middle American men who panned the video as a painfully awkward, desperate attempt on Warren’s part to appear “relatable” amid her big announcement. And that is indeed what it looked like. This isn’t the first of Warren’s stunts to backfire either. The senator came under intense and arguably deserved scrutiny last year when she took President Donald Trump’s bait. Trump, among others on the right, accused Warren of fibbing about her Native American ancestry. Warren sought to prove them wrong and took a DNA test, the results of which indicate she does have a distant Native American ancestor. But Native American groups, the Cherokee nation among them, were not impressed. The tribe told media DNA tests are “useless” to determine tribal citizenship and the stunt itself was offensive.

But this time around, where another question of genuineness is concerned, it’s hard not to feel sorry for the senator. Honestly what’s a woman to do who is potentially up for election in a country where the last female presidential candidate was consistently criticized for appearing inauthentic, elitist, and wooden to a degree male candidates are never assessed? Yes, 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney was stiff as a board, and yes, the public told him so. But had he pulled the same beer stunt in his kitchen do you really believe it wouldn’t work in his favour? That it wouldn’t humanize him in the eyes of some of his detractors and endear him just a little bit to his critics who very well might conclude “Poor guy. He’s just a dork doing his best to appear normal under the spotlight.”

When rigid men try and fail to be laid back, they’re disarming. When rigid women do the same, they’re frigid. Or phoney. Women face a Catch-22 in politics that men don’t. Warren probably figured to hell with it, why not tackle this relatability thing head on and dive right into an Al Bundy routine? Someone should have advised her against it. Probably Bruce (he could have at least knocked one back with her).

If you’re still unconvinced about the double standard women face in the authenticity game consider this: President Barack Obama once hosted a beer brewing session at the White House — an event that drew far less ridicule than one female senator’s attempt to have a cold one in her own kitchen. Elizabeth Warren won’t defeat the GOP trying to be Al Bundy. The sad thing is I don’t know if she’ll have better luck being herself. Hold on a sec, I’m gonna get me a beer.

Emma Teitel is a columnist based in Toronto covering current affairs. Follow her on Twitter: @emmaroseteitel