Underdog Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff, who’s hoping to pull a massive upset in Tuesday’s special election in Georgia, flashed his foreign policy chops and dismantled Donald Trump during an interview with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews on Monday.
Ossoff put forward a rational, level-headed approach to dealing with North Korea and skewered the president’s approach to governing – all in less than 60 seconds.
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On North Korea, Ossoff didn’t just show that he had a clue what was going on in the region, but he offered a rational approach to dealing with it:
An artillery strike on Seoul would be very, very difficult to defend against and would be probably inevitable in the event of the outbreak of major hostilities. That’s one of the reasons that it’s such a flashpoint, but we can defeat the missile threat from North Korea with a range of defensive systems that we have, from our Navy and some of our land-based systems.
On Trump, Ossoff shined again, taking down the president for his divisive approach to governing and failure to live up to the promises he made during the campaign:
It was one of the most divisive and destructive presidential races in U.S. history and I think that many have been hoping that the president will heal some of those wounds, show good faith, and a more inclusive approach to governance. So far I don’t think that he’s allayed those concerns among those who believe that that divisive approach to governance is not right for the United States.Â
Ossoff added, “I have great respect for the office, I don’t have great personal admiration for the man himself.”
Being a Democratic candidate in Georgia isn’t always easy, particularly in the district Ossoff is hoping to represent, but he’s doing it right.
He’s been so effective, in fact, that even Donald Trump tweeted this out earlier today, showing just how afraid the president is of losing the district:
The super Liberal Democrat in the Georgia Congressioal race tomorrow wants to protect criminals, allow illegal immigration and raise taxes!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2017
From top to bottom, Ossoff is a solid candidate who is knowledgeable about the issues and can appeal to voters in both political parties. Even if he doesn’t pull off a major upset in tomorrow’s special election, it’s likely he will have a future in Democratic politics.
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
