The Eminem Defense
In 2002, Universal Pictures released a movie called 8 Mile that depicted the semi-autobiographical story of Eminem’s rise to hip-hop stardom. During the final climactic rap battle scene, Eminem disarms his archnemesis by admitting his insecurities and vulnerabilities before they can be used against him.
Partial excerpt:
“This guy ain’t no motherfucking MC, I know everything he’s gonna say about me.
I do live in a trailer with my mom, my boy Future is an uncle Tom…
Don’t ever try to judge me, dude, You don’t know what the fuck I’ve been through, but I know something about you.
You went to Cranbrook, that’s a private school.
What’s the matter dawg? You embarrassed?
This guy’s a gangster?
His real name is Clarence, and Clarence lives at home with his parents.
And Clarence’ parents have a real good marriage…
He’s scared to death, he’s scared to look.
At his fucking yearbook; fuck Cranbrook…
Fuck y’all if you doubt me! I’m a piece of white trash, I say it proudly.
And fuck this battle, I don’t wanna win, I’m outtie.
Here, tell these people something they don’t know about me.”
This lyrical onslaught was pure genius, and not just because of the diction, but because Eminem anticipated his opponents insults and used them against him like a cleaver. It was a power play for the ages, and one that took Sun Tzu’s most notable quote to heart, “Every battle is won before it is ever fought.”
Spoiler alert: Clarence from Cranbrook quickly exited stage left without saying a word. End scene.
So, what can politicians learn from The Eminem Defense?
More specifically, what can Vice President Harris and Governor Walz learn from America’s most celebrated battler?
These were questions I weighed while watching Dana Bash interview our new democratic duo on CNN recently. And sadly (and unsurprisingly), neither Harris nor Walz used Eminem’s winning theory when asked about their past vulnerabilities or gaffs.
Dana’s interview began with questions that were handled with relative ease. But then she asked Harris “In 2019, at a town hall, you were asked if you would consider a federal ban on fracking on your first day in office, and you said, there is no question that I’m in favor of banning fracking. Have you changed your mind?”
Harris: “In 2020, I made it very clear where I stand, and in 2024, and I’ve been very clear where I stand, and I have not changed that position, nor will I going forward. I kept my word, and I will keep my word.”
This is a direct quote from Harris during her 2020 debate with Vice President Pence:
“Joe Biden will not end fracking, he has been very clear on that. I will repeat, and the American people will know, that Joe Biden will not ban fracking.”
So, our Vice President was indeed clear about Papa Joe’s position on fracking, but she was not clear that she shared that same belief personally.
What if she had adopted The Eminem Defense? To wit “I did say that, Dana, and I was wrong. After doing some additional research, I learned something new and changed my position.”
When was the last time a politician admitted they were wrong on prime-time network television? And how cool would it be for a Presidential candidate to offer up this level of honesty with a politically exhausted American electorate?
And when Governor Walz was asked about his recent gaff about “carrying weapons in war”, he too responded with muddled deflection.
Dana Bash: “You said you carried weapons in war, but you’ve never been deployed in a war zone. And a campaign official said you misspoke, did you?”
Governor Walz: “Well, first of all, I’m incredibly proud, I’ve done twenty four years of wearing the uniform of this country, and I’m equally proud of my service in a public classroom, whether it’s Congress or the Governor, my record speaks for itself, but I think people are coming to get to know me, I speak like they do, I speak candidately, I wear my emotions on my sleeves, and I speak especially passionately about our children being shot in schools, and around guns, so I think people know me, and they know where my heart is, and my record has been out there for over 40 years to speak for itself.”
Which prompted Dana to repeat her question “Did you misspeak as the campaign has said?”
Gov. Walz: “Yeah, I said, we were talking about, in this case, after a school shooting, the idea of carrying these weapons of war, and my wife, the English teacher, told me that my grammar was not always correct.”
Oh, for the love of God… what if the Governor said, “Oh, Dana, I did misspeak, and it was a doozy, huh!?”
That would’ve been so cool.
As I watch Presidential politics play itself out in 2024, I can’t help but notice the similarities between a rap battle and an election. In both circumstances, people use words to hurt each other, to make the other look foolish, to tell stories.To win.
And Eminem told his story with unabashed honesty, and won.
So… maybe it’s time for our politicians to adopt The Eminem Defense.
And in the case of Vice President Harris and Governor Walz, if they do so, they might even win the Presidential election in November.