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NYC politics has truly become the (dirty) joke of the land.
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First, we have the specter of two candidates running for high political offices who had to resign previous elected positions due to sex scandals.
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Elliot Spitzer who is currently trying to buy the NYC Comptroller election through a barrage of slick TV commercials previously was forced to resign as Governor (leaving NY State in a mess) due to his penchant for high priced call girls.
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Anthony Weiner, who is currently (and still) a candidate for mayor, similarly had to resign his former position as Congressman due to his obsession to send racy pictures of himself (including private parts) to women over the Internet as recently as nine months ago.
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Needless to say, both candidates have provided endless fodder for late night comedians across the country and have served to embarrass one of the greatest cities in the world.
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But, that is not where the sex and private parts discussions end when it comes to NYC politics.
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Yesterday, we in New York City were treated to Susan Sarandan and Cynthia Nixon on the campaign trail for a mayoral candidate far more liberal than even the women on The View.
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Said Ms. Sarandan in seeming effort to intimidate those women voting for City Council Speaker and mayoral candidate, Christine Quinn:
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"As a woman, you can't just vote your vagina."
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Really?
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My "vagina" is usually the last thing I am thinking of when walking into a voting booth.
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Nor, has it been a subject of deep reflection during the current mayoral campaign.
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But, since Ms. Sarandan saw fit to bring the subject up in her support of far left candidate, Bill deBlasio, I am thinking of vaginas now.
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And it occurs that we have yet to have a woman Mayor, Governor or President in NYC.
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Moreover, I seem to recall similar things said when Hillary Clinton ran for President in 2008.
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"You can't just vote your vagina."
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But, I don't recall any advocates for civil or gay rights ever saying to constituents, "You can't just vote the color of your skin or your private parts or your sexual orientation."
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As a woman who takes many things into consideration before voting for any candidate and is yet to decide on which mayoral candidate she will actually support, I feel personally insulted by Sarandan's statement.
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My vagina is not up for political fodder.
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If all the banter about penises and vaginas wasn't enough to turn one off in this political season, there is also the aspect of bullying and intimidation -- particularly directed against Christine Quinn and those who support her.
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Several anti-Quinn groups have sprung up over the months with names like, "Anybody But Quinn," "Defeat Quinn" and others.
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That is OK of course as people have the right of political involvement, organization and opinion. In fact, it is a good thing.
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What is not OK is the politics of personal destruction, character assassination and attempts at bullying and intimidation.
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Some weeks ago, I had disagreement with a fellow goose advocate and deBlasio supporter who posted a "Quinn Hates Animals" poster on a pro animal Facebook page.
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While it is true that Christine Quinn generally has a poor record on animal protective issues, she is not personally culpable (like Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Mayor Bloomberg) for goose slaughters in New York City nor can it be true that she "hates animals." Quinn and her wife have two large, rescued dogs.
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It is one thing to point out a candidates record on important issues. It is another to call people scurrilous names and make false accusations that cannot be proven.
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Yesterday, at a political event for Christine Quinn, supporters of Bill deBlasio and members of "Anybody But Quinn" attempted to drowned out speakers efforts to talk, interject their own signs and in one case, even slap an Assemblyman and physically attack an Intern working for Quinn.
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Under no circumstances is this kind of bullying and intimidation behavior acceptable in any political campaign in terms of both, what it can potentially lead to and even on its own face, is destructive and thug-like.
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That Bill deBlasio did not personally condemn (especially the physical assault) one hour later when appearing at the same campaign stop to rally his supporters says a lot about him, none of it (in my view) good nor reflective of his so-called, "humanitarian" character.
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This blog entry should not be taken as "endorsement" of any candidate currently running for mayor as I am personally undecided to this point.
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I have reservations about all, but particularly the candidate who failed yesterday to speak up when speaking up was both warranted and necessary.
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Perhaps I will (in Ms. Sarandan's words) consult with my "vagina" before voting this time around.
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It cannot, after all, be more wrong than some of the actions witnessed over these past few days and weeks. -- PCA
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7 comments:
Agree with much of this, including the phrase "Quinn hates animals." That's a non a non sequitur, in fact; the issue is whether she respects non-human animals or whether does anything to help them. She does not, and when she says otherwise, she is lying.
The dustup at the rally on Monday did not involve anyone associated with the "Defeat Christine Quinn," the "Anybody But Quinn," or the de Blasio campaigns. Further, I know from someone who witnessed the "scuffle" at close range that the indignation was staged and the bodily contact was minimal, a classic tactic. As in, you lightly tap my shirt, and I scream loudly, "DID YOU JUST HIT ME?"
Women are second-class citizens still in this country and that is not going to improve soon. All the rape culture, slut-shaming, body shaming, pay disparities, male obsession over abortion and female birth control, etc ensures that we are going backward without any brakes.
Quinn IS a liar, and she has never passed a single meaningful animal protection bill; she blocked them all and eventually passed a bogus and absurd sham one or two for political expediency, and later borrowed a page from that playbook for the paid sick leave bill. She passed the fraudulent "shelter reform bill," thus cutting funding to NYC animals and ensuring that the killing continues unabated.
NYC is an embarrassment.
I certainly agree that NYC is an embarrassment -- in all political ways possible.
However, if you look at the video footage of yesterday's rally,from NY1 there were "Anybody But Quinn" posters and tee-shirts among those who attempted to sabatoge event.
The man who slapped the assemblyman was a a deBlasio supporter as were other disrupters.
The severity of physical injury or harm is not the issue -- it is the action itself.
That you fail to condemn such actions at a political event, regardless of what is thought about the candidate is to the discredit of other things you say which under different circumstances, would have merit.
Bullying, intimidation and violence are never acceptable even when failing to inflict serious bodily harm.
If not confronted early, they will only lead to more and greater that will eventually inflict actual damage and injury.
Just want to add, that if we think Quinn has been no political friend to animals, neither has the Obama administration been.
In fact, the current administration has been busy undermining recent animal protective laws passed in California (See Wayne Pachele's blog from HSUS) and basically selling out wild horses. http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/obama-administration-wild-horses-082013.
Funny how the Quinn haters find it so easy to ignore the failings of the political buddies they helped to elect.
The real truth is that animals haven't had a real friend in politics since Nixon.
Right. I do condemn the actions and the appearance of confrontation. However, we know media love to show fights and make them look awful.
yes, Anybody But Quinn members were in attendance but I happen to know there is no connection or endorsement of scuffling. The fellow's identity was released and he hasn't been at all shy about expressing his beliefs about Quinn and St. Vincent's closure.
I don't anyone thinks violence or fighting or pushing and shoving is a good idea.
What I took from your post that was more provocative to me is that Quinn is being bullied. That is just absurd. I do agree, however, that from a marketing and communication standpoint, painting her as an "animal hater" is not brilliant.
however, she needs to be kicked out of politics and that is not bullying, just a fact. for a love of humanity.
OBAMA IS A DISGRACE. Agree 100%.
Anonymous: We seem to agree more than disagree.
When writing about bullying and intimidation, I was referring to those who interjected themselves into the crowd of Quinn supporters, yelling and waving their anti-Quinn posters in front of camera.
I am sure you and others would not like it if attending some event for the candidate of your choice, it was disrupted by those trying to shout you out.
I don't like it when discussing the topic of goose slaughters on web sites, disrupters post endless rants about aborted fetuses (which have nothing to do with goose issue).
Its one thing to have and express political and social views. Its another to try and thwart others rights to free speech and opinion.
Yes, I call that bullying and intimidation.
My prior statements were not that Quinn was being bullied and intimidated, but that her supporters were (and I still believe that -- especially the nonsense from Susan Sarandan).
I certainly understand the frustration with Quinn and am in no way expressing personal support of her. But, I respect the rights of others to have different view.
Moreover, I have yet to see anything that convinces me that any of the other candidates would be different.
Yes, I understand many animal adovcates have jumped on deBlasio bandwagon, but what is his RECORD on animal issues?
What has deBlasio actually accomplished?
I can tell you that when calling his office two years ago to protest goose slaughters in NYC, the response from deBlasio staffer was completely disrespectful and condescending. --- the worst, in fact from any politician called.
No way this blow-heart has my vote next month. Something about the man I do not trust.
One more note: Quinn haters keep accusing her of "giving Bloomberg a third term."
Actually, the voters did that.
True, voters expressed previously that they wanted term limits.
But, when Bloomberg ran for third term, they voted him back.
Just setting the record straight.
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