So, a very thoughtful commenter here on Daily Kos and I exchanged a few lines on whether Alexandra Ocasio – Cortez was acting appropriately, or whether she needed to try to be less of a rock star.
Apropos our little discussion, Alexandra Petri’s column in the Washington Post caught my eye:
Being likable is easy. Most of it goes without saying. Candidates from Beto O’Rourke to Paul D. Ryan to Mike Pence to Joe Biden have mastered it with no apparent effort.
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Be funny, but never hysterical. Be cool, but not icy. Be mature, but not dowdy.
At no costs allow yourself to become angry or, heaven forfend, shrill.
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Foul language is out. No swearing if you want to be liked. Not if you want to be respected. Foul language is for ill-bred people not fit to be seen in polite company, such as the president of the United States.
You must not float when placed in water. You must not be too familiar with cats. You should not spend too much time with your books, muttering their words. You may have no more than one (1) wart, and its position must remain fixed. You must not be seen exiting a clearing if the crops or the economy or the election fails.
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Really, to be likable is easy! Once you know what being likable is, the rest goes without saying!
Read the whole column!