Tony Goolsby Ducks Candidate Forum
Tony Goolsby, Republican incumbent in Texas House District 102, took time out of his busy schedule to write a letter to the editor of The Dallas Morning News bad-mouthing candidate forums sponsored by the League of Women Voters. It's too bad he won't take the time to actually participate in a forum. Goolsby says, "The LWV wanted to hold their candidate forums on dates when I had scheduling conflicts." That contradicts what the League president had to say in her own letter to the editor published on September 21: "Mr. Goolsby has declined to participate, despite the league's attempts to find a mutually agreeable date." There were six or more weeks to the election. All Goolsby had to do was pick a date, any date. I'm sure the League of Women Voters would have accomodated him. So, not only did Tony Goolsby not want to answer voters' questions, he isn't straight with the voters about why.
Selective Finger-Pointing
Mark Davis, in an op-ed column in The Dallas Morning News, draws three lessons from the Presidential campaign so far.
First, Davis has learned that attempts to change the nature of campaigning are futile. He's probably right about that one. Voters had high hopes that this year might be different. John McCain and Barack Obama promised to run honorable and issues-oriented campaigns. Then, silly season arrived early. McCain compared Obama to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. Absurdly, McCain twisted Obama's support for a bill that would have included age-appropriate instruction for children on how to resist sexual advances into a charge that Obama wants to teach comprehensive sex education to kindergarteners. Worst of all, McCain accused Obama wanting to lose a war rather than lose an election. Obama, inevitably, responded with attack ads of his own, some clearly stretching the truth, but none as outright false as McCain's. Maybe some day we'll have two candidates who can both stick to the high road. But, I'm not holding my breath.
Second, Davis has learned that liberal bias grew to its shameful worst. That's a good one, seeing how The Dallas Morning News has given Mark Davis, a conservative wingnut who is congenitally incapable of objective analysis, a regular spot on its very valuable op-ed page real estate. Fox News, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly still rule the cable television airwaves. And Rush Limbaugh still rules talk radio. Mark Davis and new columnist Trey Garrison have no regular balance on The Dallas Morning News op-ed pages. There's certainly a lot of shameful bias in election coverage, but more than their fair share of it comes from the right.
Third, Davis has learned that, due to this campaign, gender and race will be less of a barrier in future elections. I agree with Mark Davis on this one. Sadly, neither prejudice is gone yet and may still be a factor in the outcome of this election. But we're guaranteed that either an African-American or a woman will be elected President or Vice President this cycle. That, in and of itself, is a milestone on our nation's long journey towards a more perfect union.
No comments:
Post a Comment