So, in this era of high unemployment, a record number of people not seeking work, energy plants closing, uncertainty with the economy, what’s the best way to campaign and take on the Majority Leader of the United States?
Apparently with insults, threats, and epithets.
I hesitate to write this because I know it will only provide undue attention to someone you have never heard of. But Wayne Powell, 7th District Democrat and former soldier, should be ashamed of himself.
It has been reported that Powell is set to launch an all-out assault against Cantor.
Eric Cantor is a “bought-and-paid-for bastard,” the Powell campaign told the Roanoke Times [1]. And, “We cannot win this campaign, cannot tell the story on Eric Cantor, if we don’t have bullets,” they said in the Daily Caller [2].
How pleasant.
And here I thought that in the days following the Gabby Giffords shooting, where violent rhetoric was condemned [3], that the only congressman who has actually HAD bullets fired into one of his offices [4] might be spared this level of rhetoric.
Perish the thought.
You see, this is what the Democratic party has succumbed to – a hollow, empty group of people with no ideas and only vile rhetoric.
Since becoming Majority Leader, Cantor has led the Republican charge at passing more than two dozen job-creating measures [5] through the House of Representatives, but these bills just sit waiting for Senate Democrats to take action. (One does have to wonder what Senators Jim Webb and Mark Warner are thinking as legislation that can help small business and promote energy growth sit withering on the vine because of the lack Democratic leadership?)
Not to mention the fact that we’ve gone more than 1000 days with no federal budget. At least under Eric Cantor and House Budget Committee [6] Chairman Paul Ryan, House Budgets have been produced. No such luck from the Democrats in the Senate. And, even the president’s own budgets have been outright rejected in the Senate unanimously – they lack intestinal fortitude to even support a president of their own party?
We have yet to see one ounce of leadership on economic matters come from the Senate.
Therefore, one has to wonder about these attacks being waged by Democrats on Eric Cantor.
It is highly unlikely that they will make much of a dent on Cantor in the 7th District. And, the more they turn up this level of rhetoric, which is clearly not the Virginia way, the more they will be alienated and vilified within the state and the district.
So what’s the game? Why the Hollywood money? Why try to bring national dollars into Virginia?
It’s not hard to figure out.
The president has already visited Virginia’s 7th several times during the past few years. And, using Powell as their surrogate, this is now more of a national strategy by Obama for America to target Cantor, than an actual strategy to defeat Cantor.
The ultimate prize is Virginia for Obama – not a Congressional seat, although beating Cantor would be nice icing. My sense is that if the Obama campaign can make Cantor their foil here in Virginia – not Romney – as they run this national campaign, then perhaps they feel they might just capture the Commonwealth. In other words, make someone here in Virginia the villain and the reason for all of our national ills – not the president – in his efforts to win our 13 electoral votes.
I don’t see this as a winning strategy – in fact, it’s a downright vindictive one. But, hey, that’s the Chicago way, right?