WATCH: Dem Candidate Has A Question After DUI Arrest. It’s A Doozy.

You have to hand it to Krista Perez. She’s running for the Washington state House on a platform of "accountability" and "community safety," and her first major public appearance as a candidate involves sitting in the back of a patrol car asking the officer how to work the door handle. That’s not a typo. She really asked how to get out.

The bodycam footage is a masterclass in political irony. Here is a Democrat who presumably wants to write laws about criminal justice reform, and she can’t manage the simple mechanics of a police vehicle’s rear door. The officer had to walk her through it. We’re not sure what’s more telling—the DUI itself, or the fact that her first instinct was to treat the cop like a concierge. This is the party that tells us they have the solutions to everything, and they can’t even exit a car without instructions.

What makes this truly delicious is the contrast. When a Republican gets caught doing something stupid, the media demands a full psychological evaluation and a public flogging. But when a progressive candidate gets busted, the story becomes about "alcoholism as a disease" and "mental health support." We wonder if the Seattle Times will run that same sympathetic headline for the next GOP official who gets pulled over. We won’t hold our breath. They’ll probably frame this as a "teachable moment" about the stresses of campaigning.

Perez is lucky the officer had the patience of a saint. Voters in Washington’s 30th legislative district should ask themselves: if she can't figure out a door latch, how is she going to navigate the state budget? There’s a simple answer: she can’t. This isn’t a gaffe. It’s a preview of the competence level Democrats are offering for the 2024 cycle. Maybe she should stick to the bus. Or a bike. Anything that doesn't require a handle.