When the people voters elected don’t understand the issues they’re voting on, that’s a very bad sign.
In this instance, it disturbs me even more because she’s part of the freshman class for this session of Arkansas’ Legislature. (Don’t even get me started on her awful grasp of grammar, sentence structure and odd capitalization.)
I’m not in her district, but I have a sneaking suspicion that she ran for office pretty much on the platform of being a conservative Christian woman who hates Barack Obama. (Hmmm … add gun-totin’ and she’s Leslie Rutledge!)
This is bad not only for the state and political discourse in general, but for women specifically.
Madeleine Albright: Smart, strong, stylish, and able to laugh at herself. We should all aspire to that.
Gilmore Girls image from Crushable.
We want to be seen as intelligent and strong, but when we have people who don’t understand that capital gains (not Capitol Gaines) are a good thing for those getting them and that it’s the taxes on capital gains, not the capital gains themselves, under discussion (especially from a businesswoman), it reflects badly on other women.
When women run for office on a platform mostly of being women, that sends a message that there’s no other reason but that to elect them. (And, by the way, what the hell is with the GOP obsession with looks?)
When legitimate criticism of their political stances are made, complaining that any criticism (backed with facts or not) is because of gender (sometimes, but not always, looping partisanship in) makes the rest of us look weak.
Sure, keep fighting it, because it’s so clearly within a state attorney general’s power to repeal a federal law.
Screenshot from Talk Business & Politics.
And when anyone (regardless of gender) runs for a state office on the platform of “fixing” the federal government, that should tell you to run the other way because that person apparently has no idea what the duties of that state office are. State legislators and constitutional officers have no power or vote in D.C., and overheated rhetoric helps nothing (well, except give comedians more material).
Aung San Suu Kyi is a prime example of what women are capable of.
Image from Wikimedia commons.
There have been numerous wise and wonderful female leaders of all political persuasions, and the fact that they were women or from a specific party was not the primary reason they ran for office, nor should it be. The job is to serve your constituents, plain and simple, within the bounds of the job, and regardless of their political leanings.
I’m all for more women in office. Let’s just make sure that they’re actually the best people for the job.
Serenity is a fuzzy belly 
It’s both depressing and scary when people like Bentley get elected to positions of responsibility. If I knew nothing of her gender, age, or party affiliation, that tweet would still make me cringe. I’m sure we have some legislators like that here in Colorado, too — probably some good ol’ country boys whose only qualifications were “I’m a god fearin’ ‘Merican and I support guns!”
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Agree completely! This is what happens when voters bow to ideology over logic. Some people have no place in lawmaking bodies, and those who don’t understand even basic economic concepts or the responsibilities of their office are at the top of my list.
It’s going to be a bumpy few (I hope only a few) years before we can weed out at least the worst of those who have no business making law. Chocolate, give me strength.
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… passing the chocolate …
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The tweet alone should be enough for her constituents to demand a recall election. Between your blog post and John Brummett’s column the other day about the representative who wanted to change her vote on the capital gains tax, I am shaking my head in disbelief. I think you are right – God fearing, Obama-hating, gun loving, grits eating anybody can get elected these days. Fear not, however, because I’ve got a Texas representative who makes these two ladies seem ill informed as opposed to scary.
I’ve been on a tear since yesterday about the newly elected representative, Molly White, from my former hometown of Belton, Texas. In case you haven’t seen the headlines in the Washington Post, here is a link to her office policy.
http://news.yahoo.com/molly-white-texas-muslim-capitol-day-facebook-islamaphobia-191253151.html
I have former neighbors in Belton who are Muslim and are some of the dearest people I know on the face of the earth. I’m embarrassed that Belton citizens elected this extremist into office. I’m not surprised though. I can tell you some stories of anti-Muslim behavior from my time in Belton. Also, Molly White approached me at a Lifeway store about 10 years ago (I’ve been boycotting Lifeway since they put magazines with women pastors on the cover behind their counter – like porn) and informed me that the Race for the Cure (I was wearing a t-shirt) organization donated money to Planned Parenthood. I told her I wasn’t aware of that, but if it were true, that fact didn’t bother me. She tried to lecture me, but I walked away. She has a history of confrontation, and now she serves in the Texas legislature. If I still lived in Belton, I would find out what to do to recall her, and I would put my heart and soul into getting her out of office if I could. Ironically, her assumption that all Muslims are terrorists could give people the impression that all Christians are intolerant bigots.
Arkansas and Texas are going to drive me to Zantac and Tums.
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Intolerant bigots are everywhere, unfortunately. I would have had a hard time controlling myself had Miss Molly come up to me and acted like that. Sort of reminds me of a former sister-in-law who would antagonize me, then grab my nephew and hold him because she knew I wouldn’t hit her if she was holding him.
These people tend to be big cowards with very dangerous ideas about tolerance (we must tolerate them, but they will not tolerate anyone who disagrees with them). They’ve been given far too much free rein.
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