The announcement was certainly invoked with pride. The accompanying photo was presented as deeply dramatic. South Bend Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg made the stirring declaration that he was entering the newest ”Phase” in his campaign.
On my way back to Iowa.
It’s #Phase4. Let’s do this: https://t.co/5c5Dzmz5sg pic.twitter.com/oKW89LFT5n
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) January 25, 2020
Considering the level of import implied by this tweet you might expect the reaction to it to extend a bit further than ”Um…what does this even mean???”
Shots like these are typically reserved for people about to commit violence.
— silent “H” in Whack (@WhackNicholson) January 25, 2020
"OK now walk normally"
Politicians: pic.twitter.com/itXcnWiEPu
— Middle East Expert Who Cannot Speak Arabic (@punished_stu) January 25, 2020
He was just begging for the Photoshops, weren’t he…
— Julie Ann Johnson (@Julie_Johnsoned) January 25, 2020
— ☭Jens☭ (@comrade076) January 25, 2020
This is supervillain talk.
— Tom Taylor (@TomForUtah) January 25, 2020
Since no real explanation was given there was plenty of fill-in-the-blank activity.
Every time a CIA operative says “Phase 4” you know that a lot of people are going to die
— A Flock of Seagals (@ASegals) January 25, 2020
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Is phase 4 where you pretend to be a progressive again like you did last year talking about #MedicareForAll?
Or is phase 4 going back to the wine cave for donations?
— Patrick Bruck #NotMeUs (@scott_satzer) January 25, 2020
Phase 4: surgically attaching two more arms to your body, to improve shelter visits efficiency.
— Brigadier Sanders (@BrigSanders) January 25, 2020
more like stage 4 of the cycle of grief lol
— Rob (@robrousseau) January 25, 2020
Phase out
— Hunter Biden Meritocracy Society (@knight69420) January 25, 2020
In searching around there is no real indication of what this phase, or any previous phases actually entailed. But amusingly this ”new” announcement generated some reaction — just not the kind that would benefit the campaign.
Excited Marvel fans when they see why #Phase4 is trending.. pic.twitter.com/fJTscyjXk1
— Tim Mullender (@timwtld) January 24, 2020
So … You thought #Phase4 was about Marvel's Phase 4 … pic.twitter.com/0XfNI47Cfh
— Vandarius (@TheVandarius) January 24, 2020
Me seeing #Phase4 trending thinking it’s about the MCU then seeing what it’s really about: pic.twitter.com/NXrjfc9qLs
— Zames23 (@Zames231) January 24, 2020
I have to tip my cap to the marketing strategy of calling something #Phase4 knowing that it would trend through the roof because of people thinking Marvel announced something. https://t.co/xXp7iW3irv
— Robert Burkhead ? (@robertjburkhead) January 24, 2020
It’s the only thing that makes sense, right? But hey, this is politics, so anything goes. If you appropriate a Marvel header and then when you draw the fans it begins trending you can then claim that Pete has generated this groundswell of support.
That is some super-villain-level subterfuge, actually.