The latest meme playing out in VA-07 appeared in the Richmond Times Dispatch Saturday morning in a story titled "Cantor Defends Refusal to Debate his Opponents". Prior to today's story, Eric Cantor had always maintained that he was in Washington working to create jobs, and too busy to debate.
Except when he said something else. A shifting story always feels a little fishy sounding to voters.
Adding to the fishyness is a fact that not a few sharp eyed voters and local voices have noted, namely that Cantor has not in fact been in DC during the recess, but has instead been flying all over the country to work for other candidates and to promote his book. He has all too happily spent his energies in an effort to create a Republican take over of the house, and to promote himself on a national stage, while ignoring his own district, and his own constituents, and tyrannically refusing to grant them the simple pleasure and justice of an actual debate.
Obviously, his fellow republicans are way too important for the folks back home. His time is for them, and the locals can like it or lump it. Eric is working for the RCCC, not for the 7th district.
On Saturday morning, Cantor made headlines by changing his story yet again. This time, the reason has nothing to do with his schedule, and nothing to do with the schedules of the other candidates he is working for. Instead it has to do with ... his opponents. He has resorted to ad hominem dismissals of his opponents. It is their fault that he is not debating.
"They're not talking about their vision for the way we should take this country, all they're doing is engaging in demonstrations and theatrics and really what they're about is a food fight," he said. "And I'm not interested in giving them a platform for a food fight."
Cantor paints his opponents as childish and unserious, or else he is saying that they are in some other way not worthy of battle with him. In any case, he devalues them by denying them standing as his equal. They are snubbed, and he is the serious one. He takes all seriousness for himself. The rest are left with their "food fights." Eric stands alone.
The Times ran responses from both of Cantor's opponents in response to his insults. Democrat Rick Waugh:
Waugh called Cantor's statements "completely outrageous."
"Cantor's story about why he won't debate keeps changing, just like his views on policy seem to keep changing. How many do-overs does Eric Cantor believe the people of Virginia owe him?" Waugh said in an e-mail. "If Eric Cantor respects the citizens of Virginia, he will stand up and explain why he wants people to support him."
Waugh has put out a "wanted" poster on Cantor, calling him a "chicken" for refusing to debate. One of his volunteers walks around in a chicken suit to punctuate his point.
Tea Party favorite, Floyd Bayne:
"We put out quite a bit of substance, and that is about limited government, about a return to the Constitution as the supreme law of the land and fiscal responsibility, none of which he has demonstrated over his years in Congress," Bayne said.
"If I get him in a public forum, I'm going to challenge his voting record, and he doesn't want to be put in that position."
Now it turns out that there was a parade in Midlothian, a suburb of Richmond, last Saturday morning, the day Cantor's new excuse appeared as the top story of the morning paper. Cantor appeared in the parade, as did Rick Waugh and Floyd Bayne.
The Waugh campaign sent their chicken costume, along with a sign reading "Chicken Cantor Won't Debate." Somehow, this was the lead marcher in the Midlothian Days Parade. I hope someone got a picture of that. I hope some day I get to see a picture of that chicken leading that parade. It was hilarious. I doubt that Cantor was aware of the lead walker. What a coup for the Waugh campaign.
The three candidates and their floats and staffs were separated by distance along the parade route. Afterwards, however, there was an encounter between all three candidates at the nearby street festival when Cantor appeared there.
The encounter is caught on video
In it you can see Cantor stroll along, ignoring the crowd and his constituents as though they are not there. He visits the booth of a state senator, and has a chat with some boy scouts, which gives the this 10 minute vid a boring middle. The best parts are the beginning and the end, especially the end, when Cantor and his staff make it to their limo and drive off quickly.
Cantor is not really popular. His support is actually somewhat weak. Plenty of people around here despise him. There have just been no alternatives. This year there are.
It has actually been rather fun. The Chicken first appeared at the State Fair with Rick Waugh.
After that it was seen around town, and probably in the rural parts of the district too, on its own. Last week, the chicken got on youtube with this vid. It shows a visit to the Virginia Tea Party Patriots event, which was the largest Tea Party convention ever.
Then, earlier this week, on Oct 14th, the chicken was assaulted and thrown out of a Cantor speech at the Ramada. From what I understand, charges were filed against a member of Cantor's entourage. This is a pretty good video. You can see Cantor at the end, and to me it does look like some kind of a quick act of violence was used against the chicken to get him out of the room.
In order to satisfy their plain human sense of satisfaction in the workings and transparency of their democracy, Cantor should hold a debate before his constituents. In order to restore a little faith in government, in order to add to the general sum of knowledge in his district, in order to appeal to his constituencies, Cantor ought to debate.
But for the sake of his own political hide, he feel he must not.
And so the saga takes a new turn, and Eric's meme of the food fight becomes the next day's news.
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