Along with, “What the hell is the deal with blackface and Virginia?” the question of, “What is forgivable behavior?” is getting a serious workout at the moment.
I’m generally in agreement with Mother Jones’ writer Kevin Drum’s “20-20 Rule”. That is to say, stupid things you said and did before you were 20, or that happened more than 20 years ago grant you some kind of leniency. (I’ll get to Brett Kavanaugh in a minute.) I mean, if the stupidity of callow youth was a capital crime, I’d be on Death Row.
The key is — how do you handle it as an adult?
In the matter of Ralph Northam, Virginia’s remarkably clueless governor, you couldn’t handle it much worse. Admitting, then denying, then admitting again over the course of 48 hours pretty much convinces everyone you have no talent for the public stage and should seek work in tele-marketing. Then, based on the fact that Northam is in the job because of a heavy majority of black voters who now see him as a hopeless doofus at best, he’s got to go.
Next we have Virginia’s attorney general who has also admitted he painted his face for a costume party — he went as rapper Curtis Blow — 35 years ago. That guy at least had the smarts to compose a thoughtful letter of shame and apology. One of his problems, in terms of keeping his job though, is that he’s already called for Northam to resign … for doing the same blackface thing.
(Better psychologists than me will have suss out the appeal of black face with privileged white southern boys. But my guess is it has something to do with poking at taboos in ways you can only do if you live in a bubble culture where no one will ever think to call you out.)
Next we have the “rising star” Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, a black guy FWIW, accused of forcing oral sex on a date 15 years before he was in office. As with Kavanaugh, the accuser is now a woman in high professional standing who makes a detailed case against him. Moreover, like Dr. Blasey-Ford, she had to be convinced to throw herself into the social media hellscape that comes with accusing powerful men.
The Democratic party’s “zero tolerance” policy on sexually aggressors, which is to say, “guilty if accused”, makes it impossible for Lieutenant Governor Rising Star to survive this thing.
Despite what we hear from the likes of Kirsten Gillibrand, I’m not a big fan of “zero tolerance.” Eventually it undermines women’s demands for equality and justice. But I’ve come to believe that “zero tolerance” is an overreach that we’ll all have to live with for a while, or at least until, maybe 15-20 years down the line, there’s actual gender equilibrium in politics and corporate America. In other words, Mr. Rising Star Lieutenant Governor, demanding a “full investigation” is futile. It did nothing for Al Franken and it won’t do anything for you.
Here then is where I remind everyone that the “investigation” into Brett Kavanaugh’s teenage stupidity was cut off by his Republican protectors simultaneous with him behaving — today, as an adult, interviewing for a lifetime job of incalculable influence on 330 million people — like a privileged white brat indignant that anyone would ever have the temerity to question his bubble-cossetted honor.
The short response to anyone defending Northam, Virginia’s attorney general and The Rising Star is the same as it should have been to Kavanaugh. Namely, “We can do better than you. You’re replaceable. Next!”
Now, into this churn we drop our own Amy Klobuchar’s burbling problem of mistreating her staff, for many years, and not being exactly who/what she purports to be.
Klobuchar will almost certainly announce she’s running for president. She has a very deep well of support from every group she needs here in her home state. But this picture of her as some kind of raging harridan should not be dismissed lightly as just a pre-announcement shot across her bow. Why not? Because of how it may play nationally, among the millions who don’t yet know anything about her.
Yeah, it’s true women in authority carry a greater burden to be “likable” than men. That shouldn’t be the case, but it is. We haven’t evolved past that mattering.
That said, the issue with Klobuchar could — could, I say — become whether her smiling, measured, ever-temperate public demeanor is a kind of fraud. “Phoniness” is a hobbling accusation against any public figure.
And to repeat what I said a couple of days ago. I’m OK with voting for her for president if she gets the nomination, or again as Senator if she doesn’t. I don’t really give a [bleep] how miserable a boss someone is as long as they vote my interests. Sorry if that horrifies anyone.
All I’m saying here is that Klobuchar may soon find herself in somewhat the same position as the cast of goofballs in Virginia, in that she may have to both concede fault and ask forgiveness — for behavior happening today, well within The 20-20 Rule.
“I don’t really give a [bleep] how miserable a boss someone is as long as they vote my interests. Sorry if that horrifies anyone.”
In this era of Don Corleone Trumpsky, it takes more than that to horrify me. But I do find it…disturbing. Tops-down abusive behavior in the workplace is an at least partial measure of a person. Abusive management was the early warning shot re trumpsky. Wait, wait! I’m not likening Amy to Donald. But this is definitely a thing.
The thing here is that, like sex, this is something everybody understands, or thinks they understand. Bad bosses. A universal affliction. Everyone has had one. No one likes them. Some still respect them.
Fair comments. I also think there should be a way back from the stupidity of youthful indiscretion. I worked in a very male dominated industry and I wouldn’t like my jokes, language or ignorance held against me forever. I’m not that person anymore. I don’t forgive Brett Kavannaugh, his transgressions are indicative of poor character. I felt his poor character was very much on display during his hearings and hope one day he can be impeached or kicked off the Supreme Court, along with Clarance Thomas and Neil Gorsuch.
Al Franken was always unfair. He was in an industry, prior to being a Senator, of being a little larger than life and dark humor. He deserves a way back. He is a person of value, intelligence and worthy of our compassion.
I also do not believe in zero tolerance. Then again, when I was in school we had pocket knives and used them in Arts and Crafts classes. But I’m probably considered a relic and a bit of a sexist myself. I’ve always had an appreciation of a “bad boy” with humorously lecherous humor.
who are these folks that said she was abusive in the work place? This is written as if she is guilty.
They are — of course — anonymous at the moment. And there are others on record vouching for Klobuchar. But the fact she can’t get — or at least is having a very hard time — hiring a campaign manager is telling. Also, the rumors around town of her “style of management” play right into this. She’s going to have to deal with it. fair or not.
Two points:
1) Franken had eight harassment accusers and a crazy bad photo that was being seared into the public consciousness, so it wasn’t like it was a one-off nothing burger.
2) Klobuchar shouldn’t be disqualified, but she also shouldn’t be shrugged off just because she has friendly public persona.
The employee abuse stories I’ve heard for years go to character, stability, and phoniness. Those are all worthy things to think about when choosing the next leader of the free world.
Also a political party built primarily on the promise of fighting for the little guy shouldn’t cavalierly ignore claims of abuse of the little guys in the office.
Finally, the fact that she keeps having the highest annual turnover among Senate offices tells me that the anecdotes I’ve heard are likely not isolated claims.
So what is the crisis management advice here? I notice with some amusement that the Strib — as of 4:56 pm Thursday hasn’t touched the story.
But it will play and IMHO she has to say something about it. Moreover, if she says these are wildly exaggerated accusations and tales from “disgruntled” staffers, woe to her if that doesn’t track with the experience of others who have worked for her. As we’ve seen with the #MeToo cases, vehement denials have a way of producing new victims.
The crisis prevention advice is don’t treat people like shit. I hope she got that advice from someone somewhere along the way.
The crisis management advice for Klob for Prez is to marshall as many supportive staff as possible to go public defending her.
The messenger is the message on something like this, so what her staffers say will matter a lot more to undecided voters than the Senator’s wordsmithing. And presumably there are lot of staffers who either a) didn’t get mistreated or b) want to stay ingratiated to a rising political star who could become President.
Most journalists obey the invisible guardrails to the point of driving over the center dashes. You are no exception. Of all topics, this is the withered balloon that you choose to inflate?
Start out with the egregious blackface, with just a pinch of Franken and then pop off both barrels at Klobuchar.
You don’t require any balance when you sit on the fulcrum. But that begs the question, why even read your tripe?
If this counts as “popping off with both barrels” — citing a report obviously given enough credence by several loyal members of her own staff to the point they took time to refute it — our Senator (who I said I’d vote for regardless of how bad a boss she might be) will need Star Trek-like force field to protect her from what any presidential campaign gets hit with.
Reckon you should consider raising your poo-flinging-shield. Anticipating more erudite, tripe-like aspersion casting.
Here at WWP we welcome all poo-flingers. … as long as they use their real name. First Amendment, y’know.
I found the angle simplistic and if that is considered poop-flinging, maybe you need some better monkeys doing your PR.