In Which the Western Sussex Republican Club Gets Its Comeuppance
It’s definitely political season and it’s time to watch some of the local GOP dust off and exercise their resentments. They do this, of course, because they can’t figure out how to connect with enough voters to actually govern. They also do it because they think that their resentments and bigotries are somehow supposed to entitle them to run the world. The latest local exercise in GOP bigotry was directed at Sarah McBride, who recently endorsed Bryon Short for the US House seat being vacated byJohn Carney. The Western Sussex Republican Club responded to Sarah’s Facebook announcement by reposting it with a snide and hateful comment, with a screen shot shown below. Sarah had losts of people supporting her after this stupid bit of business was posted, including a quick (but deleted) comment from John Fluharty who observed that stuff like this is why the GOP can’t win. The Western Sussex Republican Club has deleted its post, so the comments opposing them are gone. But both Sean Barney and Bryan Townsend took to Twitter to stand with Sarah and to denounce this hateful business. Note to the GOP — this stuff may speak to somebody, but this is not the stuff of electoral coalitions. Not in Delaware, it isn’t.
After day in Sussex, sad to see hateful language from a group here thrown at @SarahEMcBride. I stand w/her and so many for #TransEquality.
— Sen. Bryan Townsend (@BryanTownsendDE) February 6, 2016
UPDATE: Statement from State Rep. Bryon Short:
“Sarah McBride is my friend, and anyone who knows her well, knows she is a brave and courageous woman. When Sarah offered to endorse my campaign I was grateful and proud, but I was also concerned she would be again exposing herself to destructive words or worse. Following my posting of Sarah’s endorsement on Facebook, a group in Delaware used it to spread a hateful message. It is a common refrain during floor debates on equality issues that there isn’t a problem. There is a problem. People are subjected to bullying, harassment, and tragically, very real violence because they are LGBT. The bigoted statement the group made shows just how real it can be. I am glad I have had the opportunity through my service in the General Assembly to stand up and fight for equality and to again stand up for what is right–a cause I will never abandon.”
Tags: GOP Bamboozlement
Hear hear!
There was a lot of support for Sarah McBride. Not a single person attempted to defend that hateful comment. (Not in a public forum anyway.) It was deleted within a few hours.
Barney, Short and Townsend all spoke at Delaware Stonewall Democrats last weekend. We already know they support the movement for equality. But, I also appreciate that Barney and Townsend put politics aside to support McBride too.
Someday Sarah McBride will be running this state. I look forward to that day!
Me too, AQC. Sarah is amazing.
The Western Sussex Republican Club is vile. Keep proving us right and living up to every label attached to you, Republicans. No more complaining. You own this crap.
And one response from a Republican candidate for State Senate: https://twitter.com/JamesSpadola/status/696129875195760640
Thank you for bring attention to this, Cassandra. It’s disappointing that so many people didn’t learn the lesson that if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Fortunately, so many more people are saying loving, supportive, and inclusive things, including many Republicans.
While I’m always disappointed when people resort to disrespectful comments, my sadness comes from having to see my parents see this type of stuff. Having said that, the outpouring of positive statements has really made my folks feel better.
I’m really thankful for Bryon, Bryan, and Sean standing up for me and others like me. We should be proud of the options in this race.
Where is Charlie Copeland on this?
Personal attacks like that one have no place in Politics
Thanks for updating this with Rep. Short’s statement, DD.
And I neglected to thank the Anonymous Tipster who took all of the screen photos of this bit of nastiness before it was deleted.
It is incredibly hopeful that there was such a big pushback on this hatefulness AND I think that it is hopeful that GOP candidate James Spadola voiced his displeasure at the message the Western Sussex GOP Club was sending.
That was a shameful, stupid and counterproductive act. Personal attacks of that nature should have no place in the Republican Party, or anywhere for that matter. Sarah, I’m terribly sorry that this happened.
That means a lot, Dave! Thank you so much!
And thanks all for the kind words, everyone. As I said on Facebook, I think the response from so many, including several Republicans like Dave, show that all people, including trans folks, can speak up and participate in Delaware politics without fear of personal insults.
Friday 5 February, YPUBIS¹, approximately 22:12h Eastern Standard Time.
Broadcast live by Time Warner media via Home Box Office television network (both SDTV and 1080i)
Bill Maher – So, the woman of the year I think from Glamour Magazine was Caitlyn Jenner. The woman of the year has a dick. When this… [audience laughter interrupts] I gotta say when this happened I said I give up as a comedian. [again, audience laughter]
Gloria Steinem – I know. I know.² The highest earning female³ in the corporate world too was a male previously, right?
Bill Maher – Right.
Gloria Steinem – So, I mean…
Bill Maher – There are no rules anymore.
Gloria Steinem – [chuckles]
________________________________________________________________
¹Year of Public Unironic Blog and Internet Shaming
²N.B. she ‘knows’
³Martine Rothblatt
And your point @Dorian Gray? What I take from what you posted is that ignorance and hateful comments are not limited to the Western Sussex Republican Club? So? When I had defendants exclaim that others do what they were caught doing, the answer wasn’t “ok then. See ya”. It was, well, you are the idiot in front of me”.
BTW- neither Maher nor Steinem called Jenner a “dude”. Plus, Steinem’s comment is harmless. She said Jenner “was a male previously”. The comments posted by someone from the Western Sussex Republican Club” not only are ignorant and insulting, but they perpetuate the stereotype of western Sussex Republicans. That is insulting to the many decent (if wrong thinking) Republicans who live west of Rte 113 in Sussex.
Many?
The comment posted by the Western Sussex Republican Club was both ignorant and insulting. I agree. I’d say childish and also vile.
What I find funny is the parsing and excuses. Maher said Glamour’s woman of the year has a dick, but he didn’t call Jenner “a dude.” Is that the limit of acceptability now, because I’m never really clear?
The very best bit was the idea that now that the public shaming is complete the political scene will now proceed quote- without fear of personal insult -unquote. I think what Sarah meant was free of certain types of personal insult. If I’ve learnt anything from this educational episode it’s that we need to be very clear in our language. I think we know that most personal insults will continue to be acceptable as long as it’s about the traits agreed upon in advance.
Perhaps the best answer is to let the comedians try to be funny and maybe, just maybe, political parties can concentrate on issues and qualifications for office. I am a progressive because I still hope that things and people can be better than they are. I hope that we can vote for candidates who espouse positions we agree with; have the track record so we can trust those positions are truly what they believe and the ability to carry out their visions. Without regard to physical attributes, religion, gender or gender identity- or their changing of them
Well, here’s to hoping that this whole sordid affair takes us all one step nearer to political paradise. I must say though that based on my personal observations over the last 40 odd years, as well as the limited history I’ve read, I wouldn’t wager anything of value just yet.
40 years ago we had seen Nelson Rockefeller “disqualified” for the presidency by people upset that he was divorced. That changed.
While JFK was attacked as a Catholic, that has not been an issue since.
Romney’s membership in the “Mormon” church as a big issue but was largely gone when he ran again in 2012
People are not shocked any longer by the idea of a woman president
I have not (yet) heard whispers about Bernie Sanders being Jewish.
A decade ago people on the right would be opposed to the idea of electing an Hispanic president; yet many of them today support one of two such people.
We have come a long way and I believe we will finish the journey
To be fair, Caitlyn does have a dick, not that it’s anyone else’s business. The issue here isn’t body parts, it’s pronouns. She presents as a woman, so in the sensitive parts of the country she’s considered a woman, regardless of what’s under her clothing.
Caitlyn also has a horrible addition to the spotlight that has gone mostly unfulfilled since the days of Olympic glory, and has managed to make a pretty penny off her exhibitionism. If I were trans I certainly wouldn’t want her as my spokeswoman.
I was making an abstract statement with that first comment. So let me be clearer.
The “dude” quip was a base insult. We all agree. At the same time I find the ritualistic, online auto-de-fé, whereby everyone falls in line and repeats the lines written in the missal of liberalism quite off putting and creepy in a way that’s difficult to describe. (And I can hold both of these ideas in my mind simultaneously!)
Victim is identified. Screen shots are taken, original posts are deleted, the people in positions of authority and responsibility who need to denounce denounce in basically boilerplate language. We all express our horror. Appreciation is offered by victim. As the dust settles we commiserate on stereotypes, pat ourselves on the back and discuss “progress.”
Yeah, I think we’ve covered it. I’m just glad Chris Christie fat jokes are still OK.
Yeah, when Chris Christie sits around New Hampshire, he really sits around New Hampshire.
I actually think this is a really good point, DG, and I appreciate you pointing out my over-generalization. I should have said that in denouncing that type of insult – probably the first time anti-trans personal insults have been leveled within the context of a political campaign in Delaware – that we are closer to building a political climate where personal insults have no place. We still have a long way to go.
We shouldn’t be mocking any candidate or supporter for their identity or body and it troubles me when the left feels entitled to mock Republicans on those things (i.e. Chris Christie for his weight).
^ She is no victim. Well said.