Response to comment on "Non-bellicose Betty"

A fellow blogger calling himself Ampersand, who runs an excellent, pro-feminism blog called amptoons (he's also a cartoonist), left the following comment to my last post:

It's a bit silly of you to portray your opponent as too weak for practical politics when polls show she's winning. What does it say about Peter Deutsch if the cookie-baking wimp you describe is able to kick his butt all over the polls?

I hope Peter Deutsch wins. But if he doesn't, part of the reason is that his opponent is, in fact, a tough and cagey politician, not the lightweight you're claiming she is. She might well be more effective than Deutsch in the Senate - just as she has, so far, appeared to be more effective than Deutsch in the race for the Senate.

It's a thoughtful comment that deserves a thoughtful, prominent response:

Thanks for your comment, but I don't see why it's "silly" to portray a politician as wrong for the job just because she's leading in the polls. That lead is due to Betty's high name recognition, as she's held statewide office (Education Commissioner), while Peter is known mainly in the county he represents in the House. And I don't think her higher name recognition suggests that that she'd be more (or less) effective in the Senate. It sugguests that she's more likely to lead in the polls.

Furthermore, I don't at all doubt that she's tough and cagey. But then I see stuff like this, from Wednesday's Miami Herald:

On Castor's website, an "issues of equality" section does not mention abortion. Asked why she doesn't talk about it, she said it's not a "big issue" this year. She added, "I don't want to be offensive to people who may not agree with my views."

Call me crazy, but this doesn't sound like someone we want defending the increasingly endangered right to choose in the Senate.

As I mentioned, Ampersand's blog is outstanding. One of the best I've ever seen. Check it out here.

Comments

[Ampersand]

Thanks very much for the link, and for the kind words about my blog.

I don't think it's silly to suggest that an opponent won't be effective in the Senate; I shouldn't have phrased it that way. What I do think is that you didn't make a very persuasive case. What you described as being too weak and civil for the Senate, struck me as cagey political positioning from someone who knows how to work the system. So I just am not persuaded that Betty would be ineffective.

Nor am I persuaded that name recognition is everything; I'm in Oregon, and I've heard of Peter Deutsch.

On the other hand, I do believe that Deutsch is the better candidate; more pro-choice, more progressive, more passionate and better on virtually any issue you could name. Even though (like Emily's List) I think it's important to put more women in the Senate, in this particular race I'd be very pleased if Deutsch won. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem likely at this point, but I'll keep on hoping for a upset victory for Deutsch. (And I'll try to convince my parents, who are Florida residents, to vote for Deutsch as well.)

[Steve Horowitz]

Ah! I knew there was a Florida connection.

The case I make, persuasive or not, is that Republicans have turned the Senate from the world's most respected legislative body into an open cesspool of blatant partisanship and power lust. And that Peter's more assertiveness might be more effective than Betty's non-confrontational style.

As for "cagey political positioning from someone who knows how to work the system," I'm neither cagey nor system-savvy.

But I am, like you, with Peter on the issues. So get your parents on board!

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