Naughty politicians November 4, 2006 7:26 PM Subscribe
Should a politician's "artistic endeavors" come into play when voters go to the polls? George Allen thinks that parts of his opponent, Jim Webb's, novels are demeaning to women and contain depictions of incest. Also, Republican candidate for Texas Comptroller, Susan Combs, is being accused of writing porngraphy because of excerpts like these from a romance novel she wrote 15 years ago. And they're not theonly politicians who've written naughty things.
posted by eunoia (40 comments total)
politicians are humans too. they had lives before they got elected to public office. i think we need to know where to draw the line between the downright depraved like the text message case and writing steamy romances to pay the rent in the past. jeez people. posted by infini at 7:39 PM on November 4, 2006
Well, George Allen is at least speaking from a position of authority on demeaning women and being a racist good 'ol boy. He's a pro. No wait, he's definitely a con.
In other George Allen news, Mike Stark was detained for allegedly shoving an Allen supporter. Stark said that he overheard the guy say he was going to take a dive. posted by fenriq at 7:40 PM on November 4, 2006
Of course it's wrong. But you have to get mud from somewhere. posted by smackfu at 8:11 PM on November 4, 2006
Er, well, Webb's fiction isn't quite up there with either Benjamin Disraeli's or Edward Bulwer-Lytton's. (OK, those aren't exactly lofty heights.) Next thing you know, some politico will start aspiring to write poetry just like RichardMoncktonMilnes'. That Combs novel, though...that's boilerplate romance fiction, hardly an erotic historical or anything.
Then again, a campaign against literary incompetence does have a certain appeal. posted by thomas j wise at 8:18 PM on November 4, 2006
Web defended his writing. He's won numerous acolades, including being on the Marine Corps recommended reading list, and for a while being the #1 required book on collage campuses about the Vietnam war.
To judge a whole novel by a single half paragraph is really ridiculous. If you mined deep enough you could probably find strange or poor things in almost any authors writings. Calling webb an 'incompetent' writer based on a few half paragraphs selected by the authors enemy is beyond hackish. posted by Paris Hilton at 8:25 PM on November 4, 2006 [1 favorite]
If there were such a thing of best expression of world sentiment, that comment summed it all up nicely. posted by Funmonkey1 at 8:34 PM on November 4, 2006
I was going to make the statement about webb but it's already been done. Also he has been on the marines required reading list for more than 20 years. posted by sourbrew at 9:07 PM on November 4, 2006
I just have a hard time finding how the overall discussion is interesting. posted by unpoppy at 9:16 PM on November 4, 2006
What I don't understand is how an asshat like George Allen can have a 24 point lead in Virginia. I thought Virginia was for Lovers, not assholes. posted by fenriq at 9:23 PM on November 4, 2006
OK, I'll be the first to go out on a limb here and say that I actually enjoyed reading Webb's work. He's no Pynchon, but he does a great job of drawing one in to the mind of a Marine.
And to try to use your opponent's fiction against him in a tightly contested election seems to me to simply say, "Hi, I'm a clueless asshole grasping at straws." posted by BitterOldPunk at 9:23 PM on November 4, 2006
"Put that pipe down baby and get my pipe up," Bill O'Reilly, from some sick porn novel he wrote about teenaged crack whores. posted by BillyElmore at 9:38 PM on November 4, 2006
See, Mr. Elmore, that's PRECISELY the point. I don't hate Bill O'Reilly for his clunky prose -- I hate him because he's a STUPID ASSHOLE, and I know that from watching him on TV. Fiction is just that: fiction. Some of it is good, most of it is bad, but all of it is NOT REAL, because it's FICTION. I can say, "Gee, Bill-O sucks as a fiction writer!" but it's not fair for me to say, "Bill-O is a crack-smoking hooker-fiend, because I read it in a novel."
This points to a greater problem, namely the ability of the US public to distinguish reality from made-up bullshit, but that's a problem for better minds than mine to sort out. posted by BitterOldPunk at 9:50 PM on November 4, 2006
Let's not even get started about Scooter Libby's literary antics... posted by clevershark at 9:53 PM on November 4, 2006
Webb's 2002 op-ed is impressively prescient. posted by gsteff at 9:55 PM on November 4, 2006
Damn, I must have been looking at an old news story since the race is really close between Webb and Allen. Which makes alot more sense that Allen would be taking cheap shots at him. I just thought he was an even bigger prick than I already do.
Damned sites that don't post dates on their articles clearly. Or maybe I just missed it. Oh well, I feel like an idiot now (well, more so than usual). posted by fenriq at 9:56 PM on November 4, 2006
Didn't Allen drop this last week? He brought it up and Webb's poll numbers shot up like 5 points. posted by mr_roboto at 10:59 PM on November 4, 2006
American politicians should not try to do anything creative. Certainly no joking, because appreciating a joke so often requires that people have a sense of humor about themselves. No writing novels, because reading a novel requires the ability to separate the truth from fiction.
Politicians are allowed to be in business, because business is politics and politics is business. They raise capital, develop and manage projects, line their pockets, placate shareholders/voters, and get involved in hostile takeovers when they can't just walk in and buy what they want. A vote is an investment. The prospectus answers "What's in it for me?" When Bush announced Saturday that "Democrats are still determined to raise taxes," he was advertising his investment firm's approach to finances and warning investors off the other big firm in town. posted by pracowity at 12:13 AM on November 5, 2006
If politicians are to be held to account for what they have written in the past, then may Dubya be held to account for the lack of the same? posted by mek at 12:43 AM on November 5, 2006
Er, sorry to be a spoilsport, but the Carter one is a silly parody. posted by imperium at 1:07 AM on November 5, 2006
What I don't understand is how an asshat like George Allen can have a 24 point lead in Virginia.
Yes, that would be shocking...if it were true. But, in fact, polls show Allen to be behind between 1% and 4%.
Didn't Allen drop this last week? He brought it up and Webb's poll numbers shot up like 5 points.
Allen launched this attack two weeks ago. A week later he dropped like a stone in the polls, with every major pundit (conservatives and liberals alike) condemning him for his ham-handed attack. He hasn't recovered yet, and he may well not by Tuesday.
Thankfully we have some staggeringly stupid Republicans here in Virginia who continue to think that this attack is a smart one, and they keep on bringing it up. I'm very grateful to them. posted by waldo at 7:20 AM on November 5, 2006
and Jefferson fucked his slave babe posted by Postroad at 7:57 AM on November 5, 2006
waldo, yeah, I did finally catch my gaff and saw that Allen is on the ropes which makes me like Virginia a little more again. posted by fenriq at 8:57 AM on November 5, 2006
Didn't Allen drop this last week? He brought it up and Webb's poll numbers shot up like 5 points.
Nope, I saw an obnoxious TV ad on the topic just yesterday. posted by musicinmybrain at 9:27 AM on November 5, 2006
Webb's fiction isn't quite up there with either Benjamin Disraeli's or Edward Bulwer-Lytton's. (OK, those aren't exactly lofty heights.)
Goddammit, read some Bulwer-Lytton! He's was a damn good writer with a fine mind. posted by QuietDesperation at 11:56 AM on November 5, 2006
Actually, the precedent for this goes all the way back to the 1930s when Upton Sinclair lost the race for governor of California, because his Republican opponent, Frank Merriam, got newspapers in the state to publish out-of-context quotes from his novels. In addition, Upton Sinclair lost support with some voters who confused him with Sinclair Lewis, the author of Elmer Gantry. posted by jonp72 at 11:29 AM on November 6, 2006
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posted by infini at 7:39 PM on November 4, 2006