His reason why?
“We are increasingly compartmentalizing ourselves. We’re meeting with, listening to and speaking to people who look like us and think like us,” he said. If things don’t change, Rigell said, “we won’t have contested districts.”
Oops… wrong quote! That was Rigell’s argument to reach across ideological differences and play nice with others.
Rigell follows up his non-endorsement and petulant whine about not-playing-well-with-Jackson-while-demanding-others-play-well-with-him with this tidbit aimed at Texas Sen. Ted Cruz:
In past years, Rigell and other Republicans attacked the Democratic-controlled Senate for failing to approve a budget. This year, the Senate and Republican-controlled House have both passed budget bills. The next step would be for the two chambers to hammer out a compromise bill in a conference committee. But a handful of Senate Republicans, including Ted Cruz of Texas, want a promise from Senate Democrats that any compromise won’t involve raising the national debt. Cruz has said he can’t rely on House Republicans to protect his interests.
Cruz “says he doesn’t trust his fellow Republicans,” Rigell said. “Well, I mean there’s some basis for that. But if you adopt that, then where are we? We have nothing.”
You know, this whole thing about epistemic closure is funny. Folks rail against it, then participate in the same concept just moments later. It goes back to the earlier observation made: establishment Republicans are perfectly fine with the big tent, so long as they are the ringmasters.
Can’t work with Jackson; demands Cruz works with them. Bemoans the state of politics today; attacks the quality of those too conservative for Rigell’s tastes.
Rigell naturally clears things up in the Washington Post… kinda:
“While my support for Ken Cuccinelli and Mark Obenshain includes my full personal endorsement, my support for E.W. Jackson is limited to my vote,” Rigell said late Tuesday in a statement provided to the Washington Post.
…because that makes it better, right?
This back and forth sounds like the posturing of communications consultants and the ricocheting of an elected official who wants to do the right thing but has no idea how to achieve it — perfect prey for the political class.
As for Jackson’s brand of Christianity and the perspective that he hails from — namely, his time working in Boston and Chesapeake in the black community — when Republicans talk about outreach and inclusion, this is what we’re talking about.
Rigell (or his handlers) needs to become more comfortable with minority leaders actually leading from within the party. I wish there was a more kind, more politic way of saying this… but the core advantage of Jackson running as the LG nominee is this reason among others. To wit, Scott Rigell again:
“I am just seeing this disconnect,” he said. “We need high-quality candidates across the commonwealth and across the country to set aside their personal life and have a season of public service.”
Should one conclude that Harvard-educated Marines do not fit Rigell’s bill?
UPDATE: via WTVR in Richmond, Jackson responds:
“I consider Scott Rigell a friend and brother in Christ and will welcome his support once he learns the truth about those statements and the context in which they were said in my role as a minister.”
Class act, folks.
