So to speak.
A month ago, Radtke was all up in arms over the upcoming debate between George Allen and Tim Kaine. The requirements for the AP debate are that a candidate had to be showing 15% in their respective primary and had to have raised 1/5 as much as the leading fund raiser in said primary. Shaun Kenney drew Jamie a diagram here.
Oh the horror. Oh the Facebook frenzy over being excluded from the debate.
Truth be told, it’s a little presumptuous of the AP to write the rules to exclude the other candidates completely. Then again, it’s their debate.
Still, Jamie wanted her chance to debate. Or so we thought.
The Shenandoah Valley Tea Party is hosting a U.S. Senate Debate on October 20th. They invited eight candidates, Democrats, Republicans and Independents. Four have accepted. Jamie Radtke had also, but now a newsletter from the SVTPP says:
Jamie Radtke has withdrawn from the debate because she does not wish to participate without George Allen.
So is she basically saying that the other candidates in the primary aren’t worth her time? The “leader” of the Tea Party won’t come to a Tea Party event?
Of course according to Tim Kaine, with whom Radtke agrees on most things George Allen, Allen is the tea partier.
The mind. It boggles.
The Mad Hatter couldn’t throw a tea party like this. It’s only going to get more bizarre the closer we get to the primary date. But, anyone on the reality side of the looking glass knows that next year’s contest will be between George Allen and Tim Kaine.
Still, all the candidates have the right to try to get their message heard. So, when you’re trailing in polls and fundraising, not taking a free opportunity such as this just because George Allen isn’t there strikes us as a bizarre campaign strategy.
And, between you and me and the Cheshire Cat, I don’t think it’s working.
