Rep. McKinney: More Doo Doo Than Hairdo genre: Six Degrees of Speculation
Democratic Representative Cynthia McKinney has just apologized on the floor of the house for her actions in the altercation with a Capitol police officer. Obviously, I wasn't present for the incident, but from my viewpoint, her actions since the event have simply served to illuminate her incredulous and ill-advised posturing. Deciding to make racial profiling an issue (one that she contends has existed at the Capitol for years) only after she has been accused of striking an officer is an obtuse attempt to obfuscate her lack of judgment and restraint. I have no doubt that race may have been an unfortunate factor in the situation but had she quickly acknowledged and apologized for her lapse of judgment in hitting the officer, she may well have been able to bring focus to the larger issue. As it now stands, she simply looks foolish and self-absorbed. Further, in this critical time preceding the mid-term elections, she has left her party vulnerable to unnecessary attention and criticism amidst its attempt to paint the opposition as being inclined to see itself above the law. That's unfortunate.
Daniel DiRito | April 6, 2006 | 10:10 AM
Comments
1 On April 6, 2006 at 12:38 PM, The Eyewitness Muse wrote —
Bravo. Not only is this sideshow getting as much coverage as DeLay's departure and Bush's new Plame problem, it distracts from real issues of racial intolerance.
EWM seeks to give this silly affair a going over in new musing..."McKinney Trial Moved to The Hague." http://www.eyewitnessmuse.com/musings.php?p=207
Enjoy.
2 On April 6, 2006 at 1:48 PM, Daniel wrote —
EWM,
I read your posting at your site...very funny! I always enjoy good old fashioned sarcasm. And you are dead on that this issue (particularly how it was handled) takes attention away from more important issues and likely the underlying racial issue.
3 On April 6, 2006 at 4:55 PM, Lachlan wrote —
I agree. From the moment this hit the news, I was waiting for it to explode to epic proportions of stupidity, and McKinney wasted no time in pulling the we-all-saw-it-coming race card.
And the maddening thing is that her scuffle with a cop? So minor compared to the real issues out there. But I guess real doesn't sell enough papers these days.
Btw, thanks for the link!
4 On April 6, 2006 at 5:13 PM, Daniel wrote —
Sometimes it's baffling to me that politicians can be so blind to the ramifications of their actions...it's hard to imagine there was anyone telling her she was handling the situation well.
There is a theory in Psychology called the "false consensus effect"...which basically says that a small group of people with similar beliefs or opinions work in isolation such that they are unaware that what they all believe may not be accurate or acceptable to a larger audience. It's the best spin I can put on the situation.
And you're quite welcome for the link! Hope to see you back soon.
5 On April 6, 2006 at 5:35 PM, Phoenix Democrat wrote —
Thanks to Cynthia McKinney, Tom DeLay's exit isn't getting as much attention. McKinney is a very big liability to the Democratic Party and the Democrats owe it to themselves to shun her and distance themselves from her.
6 On April 6, 2006 at 5:54 PM, Daniel wrote —
Phoenix Dem,
I certainly agree that her actions (or lack of appropriate actions) were distracting at a time that could have otherwise benefited the Democrats. At the same time, I'm not sure throwing the baby out with the bath water is the only solution. Hopefully, she will be more thoughtful before reacting in the future. We will just have to wait and see.
Thanks for your comments!
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