Much of the commentary about Neel Kashkari this fall is laughable. He’s constantly being advised that he needs to do certain things – raise more money, attack Brown, hit a home run in the date, etc.
Let’s face it: Neel Kashkari doesn’t have to do a damn thing.
One of the privileges of being Neel Kashkari in this campaign is that he should feel free to say and do whatever he wants. He is like the fictional sports agent Jerry Maguire, after he loses his jobs and all his clients, save one. He can build the kind of company that he wants, because no one is paying much attention. He really has nothing to lose.
At times, Kashkari seems to realize this. Why else would a candidate – who needs to show gravitas and that he can get known – going undercover as a homeless person for a week?
Why would a Republican risk offending the base in an era of hyper-partisan, base-driven elections?
But at other times, he comes off as utterly conventional. His policy positions don’t offer much that’s new. His attacks on Brown aren’t novel.
At this point, why bother with anything that’s conventional or merely strategic? With defeat assured – and that’s not just his defeat but the defeat of Republican statewide candidates across the board — Kashkari should go full Jerry Maguire. Say whatever he thinks is right, on whatever topic. Don’t bother with publicity stunts or anything else that feels forced.
There’s no good reason to hold back now.