Please Clap

About

Please Clap is a phrase uttered by 2016 Republican Presidential Primary candidate Jeb Bush to a crowd of unenthusiastic supporters after saying a line in a speech he believed deserved applause. The moment came at the tail-end of Bush's failing campaign and seemed to observers a microcosm of a candidacy that failed to generate expected fervor. It experienced a resurgence as a meme with the rise of ironic Jeb Bush fandom following the 2016 United States Presidential Election.

Origin

On February 2nd, 2016, Bush spoke to a crowd in New Hampshire. Delivering a part in his speech in which he explained the sort of President he would be with regards to the military and foreign policy, Bush ended with a line he believed would generate applause. When the audience did not applaud, an exasperated Bush asked, "Please clap."

Spread

The moment instantly became a target of mockery for the media. On the 3rd, MSNBC^[3] described "Please Clap" as "just a heartbreaking phrase because it comes from a candidate who thinks he’s delivering powerful, inspirational rhetoric, but who’s also reminded from time to time that in order to get any kind of real validation, he literally has to ask for it." Fox News^[4] wondered "Is This the Most Cringeworthy Moment of the 2016 Campaign?" On the 4th, CNN ran a segment about the clip during which commentators said bluntly, "He his having a really bad campaign."

Mashable^[1] included the moment in a list of the most awkward Jeb Bush campaign moments. On the 20th, two weeks after the incident, Bush dropped out of the race. On the 21st, a thread on /r/OutOfTheLoop^[2] was posted asking about the origin of "Please Clap." The moment inspired several image macros mocking Bush.

Post-election Resurgence

Following the election of Donald Trump and several months of his administration during which his favorability ratings were low, "Please Clap" began re-appearing as part of the" ironic":/memes/subcultures/ironic-memes Jeb Bush fandom online.

Pete Buttigieg "Come On!"

On January 21st, 2020, Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg gave a speech to attendees of one of his rallies in Iowa. At the conclusion of his speech, he asked the crowd to "spread a sense of hope to those that you know." After a few mumbled "yes"-es, Pete urged the crowd, "Come on!" before applause finally broke out. The moment led to comparisons between Buttigieg and Bush's "Please Clap" moment.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References