Internet nicknames Wash. governor ‘Bae Inslee’ during democratic presidential debate

August 1, 2019 2:57 PM

Erin Robinson,

Posted: August 1, 2019 2:57 PM

Updated: May 20, 2021 10:44 AM

by Erin Robinson

The Internet can’t seem to get enough of presidential candidate and current Washington governor Jay Inslee, but not for the reasons you might think.

Inslee participated in the CNN democratic debates Wednesday night, but it was not his answers that got people talking. It was… his look?

Twitter was set ablaze with old photos of Inslee after Katherine Krueger, managing editor at Splinter News, commented on his appearance. In her article “Someone Needs to Say It: Jay Inslee is Hot,” Kreuger details her thoughts.

Kreuger’s article spread fast across Twitter, with several other users chiming in with similar sentiments. Some even went as far as to nickname him “Bae Inslee.”

Michael Bennett is like your dad and Jay Inslee is the guy your mom left your dad for

— Mike Drucker (@MikeDrucker) August 1, 2019

call me jay <3https://t.co/1VPB8M8ysG

— Katherine Krueger (@kath_krueger) August 1, 2019

Inslee has prioritized climate change and environmental issues as the primary platforms of his campaign. However, after last night’s debate, some political strategists believe his presidential run may be over.

“I think the debates have passed him by,” said Republican political strategist Randy Pepple to KOMO News. “This will probably be his last time on the national stage.”

Some say Inslee’s campaign has run out of steam.

“His biggest problem, it was in the New York Times, is that he is spending far more money than he is raising right now,” Pepple said. “He won’t even have enough money to continue the campaign past Labor Day.”

Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal shared similar sentiments.

“This might be the last debate,” said Jayapal. “So I’d say use it well, talk boldly about your climate plan.”

In order to qualify for the next debate in September, Inslee will have to show at least 2% support among voters. Right now, he is less than 1%.

READ: Fact Check: CNN’s Democratic debate, night 2