The Lonely Goatherd Blog And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats - Matthew 25:32
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All original content on MoreThings.com copyright 2008 Albert Barger or the respective authors
November 01, 2002
Julia Carson gets the vapors Get the smelling salts for the "honorable" congresswoman. Julia Carson, incumbent Indiana 7th district congressman, dramatically walked out of a debate with Republican Brose McVey and Libertarian Andrew Horning.
She was deeply offended by the offensive and racist campaign of her Republican opponent, and couldn't stand to be on a stage with him. "I don't think I have ever in my life seen the political decay, the lowest common denominator that has been applied by my Republican opponent in this particular race. I don't feel comfortable being in the same room with him."
The offensive part came from McVey ads talking about her record of being consistently late in paying property taxes on several properties over a period from 1997 to 2001. She was particularly hurt because part of the reason she was delinquent in her tax payments came from being upset over her mother's illness and death. Mom died in 1987. I am NOT making this up.
McVey also committed the sin of "racial polarization, jamming my pictures in his TV ads in a very negative way." Using HER photo in his ad constitutes racism. Again, I am NOT making this up. They used an unflattering grainy black and white photo. This is racist. Apparently, if a Republican runs against a black Democrat, they are only allowed to use a glamour shot of the opponent.
In case you haven't figured it out by reading this far, this is a desperation move. Her campaign is in trouble. No Republican has won this inner city Indianapolis district in several decades. Andy Jacobs handed it to her several terms ago, but as evidenced by this type of tactic she sucks so bad that she can't hold on to it. Also, perhaps she has been hurt by her vote against the authorization for use of force against Iraq.
Of course, if she had any actual legitimate beef, she was already in the right forum to deal with it. There he was on the stage with reporters looking on; confront him with his specific misdeeds and demand an explanation. That kind of thing is just what a debate is for.
There are two likely possible explanations for her childish behavior. The more likely [and perhaps somewhat less bad] explanation is that the walk-out was a pre-planned stunt, calculated to demagogically inflame and motivate her core (ie black) constituency (at the risk of alienating the independents).
The other likely possibility would be to take her behavior purely at face value; she came to debate, but was spontaneously overcome by righteous indignation. This would reflect even far worse, arguably, on her fitness to serve, on her basic emotional balance and self-control.
Either way, she should be considered unfit for office on the basis of this action alone by any responsible voter, whether they be liberal or conservative in their policy views. Such a petty prank might be amusing in a state legislative race, or a city council election. Congress has to deal with serious historic life and death issues, though- war and peace, homeland security.
If Ms. Carson can't stand on a stage and have an adult conversation with a couple of polite Americans at the Kiwanis Club, how much help could she be to the president in figuring out how to handle, say, the nuclear armed tyrants in North Korea? She's not comfortable being in the same room with this mean old Republican who said bad things about her? Ahh!
Schoolgirl tantrums won't cut much ice with the actual bad guys. "Saddam Hussein, you stop that right now, or I'll call you a racist- and hold my breath till my face turns blue!"
