New Fettermans Just Dropped

We fancy ourselves on the cutting edge of certain social and political trends, which is why so many of our readers come to this space. For example, we were up early on Cocaine Bear and Mumford and Sons, among too many things to count. And let's not forget who introduced the broader populace to John Fetterman - how do you think Stephen Colbert found out about the Mayor of Braddock, PA?

The Colbert Report

We got the rise of that last fucking guy pretty right, too, burnishing our bipartisan bona fides in the realm of politics.

All of which is preface to this early (but perhaps not too early) look at a newcomer on the political scene who's may have some of the right stuff.

Rep. Jeff Jackson (D-NC) is a first-term Congressman representing North Carolina's 14th Congressional District, a sprawling area that spreads from Charlotte to the Tennessee border. The 40 year-old Jackson is straight out of central casting: handsome, married father of three, holder of a J.D. from the University of North Carolina, and a veteran who served in the Army in Afghanistan and remains an officer in the Army National Guard. Importantly, for the purposes of our interest, he's a very effective communicator who's savvy in the ways of modern social media.

Jackson's straightforward missives on Twitter and other platforms are at once homey, easily understood, and insightful. He does an excellent job demystifying Washington's arcana and calling out hypocrisy (it must be said that he hasn't been on Capitol Hill long enough to get jaded, so we'll keep our eyes open).

Here's a recent example that neatly encapsulate Rep. Jackson's style:

Team Outrage in Congress has been very busy pretending to be mad about all sorts of stuff.

My bet:

Up next, Barbie. pic.twitter.com/Cph8KeczF3

— Rep. Jeff Jackson (@JeffJacksonNC) July 25, 2023

There's a long way to go from freshman Congressman to higher office and greater impact, and we once had high hopes for a fresh-faced North Carolina lawyer-turned-legislator with a great story until that dude turned out to be a creep with a problem keeping his dick in his pants. But Jeff Jackson's got something, says us, and us has a track record.

For what it's worth, we're also keeping an eye on Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), who served in the CIA for nearly a decade and was the first Democrat in 38 years to win Virginia's 7th District in 2019 - that's the same District that Eric Cantor wasn't conservative enough to retain, if it offers any sense of the political talent required for a Democrat to win twice. 

Spanberger recently announced her candidacy for Governor in 2025, meaning she won't seek reelection for her House seat. That makes me nervous, frankly, as the Dems need as many seats as possible, but Spanberger will be a formidable gubernatorial force, and if she's successful in her campaign, she'd be immediately on the short list of 2028 Democratic Presidential candidates. Keep your eyes on the Commonwealth, friends.