RSSVA Senate Race … James Webb May Have Some Explaining to do Regarding his Novels
The Virginia Senate race just hit one of those WTH moments. In this day and age when one 
runs for political office, they best be ready to explain things from the past. Everything is under a microscope. Does it make the campaigns productive, no. But, unfortunately that is the political environment of today facing both sides. This one might need some explaining.
From The Drudge Report, Senator George Allen, R-VA, unleashed a press release late Thursday that exposed his rival’s fiction writing, which includes graphic underage sex scenes. I realize these books are works of fiction, but you know there are certain limits. I really have to question how in the hell someone would run for office knowing that such “over the top” writing was in his past. With the close scrutiny and vetting that takes place in choosing a candidate, especially for the Senate one really has to wonder why no one in the Democratic Party did not think this may be an issue. Virginia is far from a liberal, blue state. There is a big difference between authoring books and running for office. What one does and gets away with in the private sector is much different than the public one. Never was it more evident.
Yes its a work of fiction and yes its his artistic impression, but it also leaves you needing to shower. There are many writers who display these same talents and some on the radio like Howard Stern that say similar things. That being the case, Howard Sterns is not getting elected to the US Senate either. As previously stated, it not even the words that really trouble me. Its the lack of judgment that one would run for public office, having wrote these words.  For that reason one has to wonder whether the following comment from the Allen campaign may prove to be true.
Most Virginians and Americans would find passages such as those below shocking, especially coming from the pen of someone who seeks the privilege of serving in the United States Senate, one of the highest offices in the land.
UPDATE: Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd video on IMUS, MSNBC. Sorry Senator Dodd, but think your excuses regarding Webb’s writings are a double standard. Talking about the issues and what one can do, not idle promises and lies, should be what elections are about. That has been gone for years in the climate of “hate” politics. However, Democrats have gone down that path to. Kind of hard to put the Genie back in the bottle. Also difficult seeing that Democrats brought up the Foley situation.  What’s good for the goose Senator Dodd. This is unfortunately what occurs when politics gets to this level.
Allahpundit makes these very same points regarding the double standard that exists if it were Allen who had wrote such passages. In a political environment where every word that a candidate has ever uttered to another human being is analyzed and probed for its intent and content, why is it so shocking that the written word would not also fall under the same microscope?
If George Allen had written this book, not only would the left be going berserk, they’d be circulating lists of characters in his other books whom they suspect of being gay.
Michelle Malkin also makes similar points with “Politics and pulp fiction”. Its pathetic when both sides do it; however, if a Republican had ever done such a thing the media would be out in force on it. When its a Democrat, its just unseemly but accepted as a work of art.
Remember how pathetic it was when the Left tried to make scandals out of books written by Lynne Cheney and Scooter Libby?
Â
In my opinion, in the end we all lose when this occurs. The fact that this is what our political process has become is a shame. In many ways its hard to blame the politicians, because we accept it. In many cases the extremes on both sides embrace it. Certainly makes good ratings on TV … but does it make good politics?
If you liked this post, you may also like these:
Comments
7 Responses to “VA Senate Race … James Webb May Have Some Explaining to do Regarding his Novels”
Leave a Reply
Red I love ya. You find this stuff when I do. Thanks for posting it.
[...] There are those who think Webb was stupid to run for Senate knowing his literary past. I’m not one of them. Books are lands of the imagination. Writers like Webb put together scenes and use words, some offensive, to tell a story. Is the new standard fiction writers can’t run for office? [...]
This could backfire on Allen, and help Webb.
1) John McCain likes Webb’s novel.
2) Dick Cheney’s Chief of Staff, (now ex-Chief of Staff),
wrote a novel, “The Apprentice”, that has 10 year old girls being raped by bears in cages for training for adults later on.
Now that’s creepy.
_________
SM: Never heard of that but if true, yes that is creepy.
However, you are missing the point … cheif of staff not trying to be elected by the public.
There is a big difference with what one does in the private sector vs. public.
It also makes a big difference as to what the make up is of the state … Virginia is not Blue. This is not MA, VT, CA or NY that he is running for Senate.
I question the judgement, especially that one would not think this would have a negative affect on “independent” voters.
R
oh hell,i can’t vote in va/all we get is run of the mill corruption.Joe
Anyone can take bits and pieces out of a book and make things appear in a different light. Many have been trying this crap with the bible for years. One rule of thumb always view things in full context. Allen is worried because things are even now. Let’s not forget Allen still has no real answer for the racial comment made on camera. Not to mention this Allen had a small noose on his desk. I don’t care what no one says Allen sounds like a racist to me.
No. Lynne Cheney has the explaining to do with her novel “Sisters”. Webb saw these things in Vietnam as part of their culture. Where did Cheney get her ideas? From Mary?
I swear everyone is jumping on this band wagon about someone writing a fictional story. It has to do with underage sex from what I understand. I think it is rediculous to jump all over someone for using their freedom of speech. Push this novel aside, how does anyone know this man isn’t going to good at his job? Everyone is so paranoid about underage sex offenders, we are so willing to attack someone with underage sex drawings or a novel.
I saw a site that had the cutest little wolf child with a diaper and sucking on a passifier. People thought it was some kind of child porn. I thought it was cute. There was nothing personal being shown.
If a child molester gets off on a simple picture of a underage drawing of a fictional child and leaves my child alone, I’m all for it.
In my opinion parents should talk to their kids about sex, no matter how uncomfortable it might be. Tell them they love them. Talk to them about what dangers are out in the world. It is a child’s natural curiousity about sex that I feel can draw even the best prepared child.
Webb from what I’ve read, has never done harm to a child. Look at what the man has done for the people, not the fictional characters of some book and what they do. ITS A BOOK, GET OVER IT.
If we can’t simply express our freedom of speech, than what was this country meant for? If a person doesn’t like the contents of the book, they have the right to stop reading or not read it at all. Throwing it in the guy’s face like that is unprofessional and wrong. Fear is how we let the enemy win. Check facts before passing judgement on someone.