Hoping to be saved by disaster…
Senator Scott Brown, citing the danger posed by Hurricane Sandy, has pulled out of his fourth and final debate with Elizabeth Warren, which was scheduled to take place on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Boston. “It is simply not appropriate to go forward with a political debate when a disaster strikes,” Brown’s spokesman, Colin Reed, said. “The focus for all of us before, during and after the storm needs to be on emergency response and disaster relief, not campaigns and politics.”
It may, in fact, turn out to be appropriate to postpone or cancel the last debate for Elizabeth Warren and Scott Brown, but the classy way to do it is to contact the opposing campaign and discuss it. By jumping the gun, Brown is likely looking to avoid another debate in which he looks more ignorant and less likable.
The press release on his website offers the following background information:
Both President Obama and Mitt Romney have canceled their campaign events for Tuesday, as did senate candidates in Pennsylvania and Virginia. Additionally, the Maine Senate debate scheduled for tomorrow has been canceled.
Discuss
27 Comments . Leave a comment below.and debate an empty chair?
Yes, I know. It’s been done.
up for attacks on being sensitive to disaster victims.
debate an empty suit.
Save us from watching reruns of Friends or whatever is on television. More folks will be at home watching TV than usual, making it an even better time to have a debate than most.
opening game! (Losing to Miami by 20, but worth it to see what kind of hard fouls Ray Allen draws)
I’d suspect none.
Brown has already shown a willingness to use natural disaster to his political benefit (see Springfield tornado ad). He has to try to milk this for everything it is worth to re-inflate that good-guy everymanhood he has been touting.
However, the damage may already be done w/ those ads. The bigger question is what, if any impact this will have on either candidates closing ads.
to help chain saw downed trees. Shameless pandering to the cameras. In 3-2-1…
Someone mentioned that he just released a new ad. I guess this is a good way to avoid be called out on the content of the ad. As David Bernstein noted, Brown’s concern about the inappropriateness of political discussion during the hurricane does not extend to the continued airing of political ads.
http://blog.thephoenix.com/BLOGS/talkingpolitics/archive/2012/10/29/scotto-pulls-out-but-not-all-the-way.aspx
a joke about another generation of the Brown family pulling out.
a disaster center and said it wasn’t about politics.
Senators can have a big impact. It’s called constituent service. Get the staff to clear obstacles for federal emergency relief aid. Of course, if Romney wins, there will be no federal emergency relief.
Especially the recovery in Queens and Kings.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgCq7oQ-dZE
Perhaps yellow bellied Scottie boy should offer his pickup truck for disaster rescue. Just like Romney is using his campaign bus to aid hurricane relief. Presumably they will give out a free cup of coffee if you pledge allegiance to the Party of Wall $treet.
What is appropriate?
I think that this is a real question. I happen to think directly capitalizing on a disaster as I feel Brown did in Springfield, is inappropriate. Perhaps misleading the public in the midst of a disaster to grab headlines is borderline (getting the utility information, playing the anti-Patrick executive role).
Checking in on recovery efforts or a disaster preparedness center may not be. I don’t know. Now if we do see Brown posing for cameras while not doing any recovery work getting in the way, that is wrong (FWIW, it would be wrong for Warren, too, but I don’t I’d see her whipping out a chainsaw).
I think the question becomes what is the line? There is a degree at which appearing supportive of efforts turns into falsely implying that there would be no recovery without the efforts of the candidate/incumbent.
knows what the line is, but in his imitable douche-bag style, he’s going as close to it as he can. It’s one of those “fuck you” moments Petr referred to.
In place of the scheduled debate, we should ask WGBH to re-broadcast the Springfield debate at 7:00 on Tuesday. Many voters in eastern Mass. haven’t seen it.
How do we ask WGBH to re-broadcast that Springfield debate?
he needs to get out of Patrick’s way, as he has a job to do.
If people think that he believes that his time is of better use doing photo-ops instead talking about why you’re the best candidate, he’ll have problems.
This is the start of his run for governor.
there’s always another gig.
Posted by the Brown campaign …
What a jacka**.
that could be spent giving residents useful information.
What Brown said
“We were asked to come down and provide information on national grid… blah blah blah…”.
Thank gawd the Senator was able throw on his storm jacket and jump in his pickup, rushing to the scene to provide “Information On National Grid “. If the brave Senator was not able to act as a National Grid ‘Courier’, the Bay state would probably be without power for months.
Scott
BROWN
He’s a TOOL!
Weather in the sixties tomorrow, a few showers…
Why doesn’t the EW campaign suggest that they have the debate after all. The people at GBH will already be at work so no one will be risking their safety.
Most important, the voters of Massachusetts deserve this chance to hear from the candidates in this critical election, she could say.
Both candidates feel the timing of the debate would be inappropriate.
“Elizabeth (Warren) believes the focus now must be on public safety and ensuring people get the help they need during the storm and in its aftermath. With the concern for public safety and cleanup paramount, Elizabeth believes the debate should not be held tomorrow,” the Warren campaign said in a statement.”
Brown made no attempt to reschedule to later in the week. He is terrified at having to face EW in another debate (considering poll movement after the previous 2 debates). This storm was an answer to Brown’s prayers.
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