'Let's go, Brandon': How one ill-advised remark got a Virginia mom banished from progressive friend group
Best of Biden: Part 4 of 4
During the final four days of Joe Biden’s presidency, Battle Line is sharing four of our most popular stories that covered POTUS No. 46. Today’s story was originally published November 24, 2021.
In most ways, it was a standard trick-or-treating night in Petersburg, Virginia. The air was crisp, doorsteps were adorned with pumpkins, and costumed children shuffled over sidewalks eager to get their next piece (hopefully handful) of candy. Scattered about were parents sitting on their front porches, most of them sipping from mugs containing substances sure to keep them warm on this brisk and chilly night.
It was that kind of setting where Mary Parker and her son, Brandon, were about to make their final stop – the Wilson residence. The Wilsons lived just a few houses down from the Parkers, so they did not have much farther to go. Brandon had accumulated a pillowcase full of candy throughout the evening, an impressive haul by any objective measure.
Brandon graciously accepted his final pieces of candy and then began playing with the Wilsons' dog as the adults chatted for a few minutes. Another successful trick-or-treating experience was nearly in the books, until it came time for the pair to leave.
“Let’s go, Brandon,” Mary said, getting her son’s attention from the front yard. The two left without incident and headed home. Little did Mary know that, by sunup, her short, three-word phrase would be the talk of the town and still be impacting her some three weeks later.
The phrase, “Let’s go Brandon,” originated at a NASCAR race at which driver Brandon Brown secured his first career victory. In a post-race interview, the reporter indicated the crowd was chanting, “Let’s go Brandon.” In reality, they were chanting, “F*** Joe Biden.” From there, the chant took off faster than a racecar, spreading on social media, being printed on flags and shirts and overtaking several more sporting events across the country.
So, while Mary may have thought she was simply telling her son that it was time to leave, the residents of the very progressive, left-leaning town of Petersburg heard something far different.
“Did you hear what Mary Parker said the other night?” became a popular conversation-starter throughout the neighborhood.
This story being of grave, national significance, Battle Line traveled to Petersburg to get a feel for what things were like on the ground.
“Her son’s name is Brandon, and she was telling him it was time to go. Far as I see it, that’s the strongest part of her argument,” said Jonathan Fedor, 45. “I feel for her, I really do. I just wish, for her sake, she would have said it a different way. ‘Time to go, Brandon,’ or ‘Come along now, Brandon,’ or ‘Brandon, honey, it’s getting late.’ But she didn’t use any of those. Instead, she said, ‘Let’s g-…’ honestly I’d rather not repeat it.”
“This is a politically active town,” said Teresa Hagan, 53. “The people here pay attention to current events, and we pride ourselves on being forward-thinking and always pushing for progress. Mary had to have known that her comment would be triggering for folks around here.”
Others were even less generous. “If Mary wants to go down to the nearest trailer park and hang out with all her Trump-loving, dingbat Republican friends, then she should go right ahead,” said Robert Redfern, 48. “I’m sure they’ll have a cold Busch Light and fresh Skoal pouch ready for her when she gets there. Maybe they can hatch up a plan to make trailer parks great again,” he said, snickering.
“But around here,” he continued, “we believe in kindness, decency and respect. There’s one political party in this country that’s actually trying to make a positive difference. The other one is patting itself on the back over some stupid, middle-school slogan.”
Needless to say, Parker has found the road to forgiveness includes many stops. No matter how much she tries to prove her progressive, left-wing credentials, she has yet to find the recipe that will get her back in good social graces.
“There’s a ‘Black Lives Matter’ sign in my front yard,” Parker pleaded. “I wear a bracelet that says, ‘What Would Fauci Do.’ Last Halloween, Brandon dressed up as Ruth Bader Ginsburg. What more do I need to do to prove who I really am? I would never say ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ in a derogatory way.”
She recently was spotted outside a neighbor’s window chanting, “Critical Race Theory isn’t taught in schools, but it should be!”
Yet another stop on her long and winding road.
On our way out of town, Battle Line passed said trailer park and counted no fewer than 12 flags that read, ‘Let’s Go Brandon.’
