I understand that people running for office sacrifice some privacy, but this is going too far. Following the guy to the bathroom? Videotaping him while he’s talking to his wife and kids? Some people have no shame - and Ryan is a real asshole for letting this guy do this. Hopefully, people will respond to this ugly politicking by letting Ryan know that such tactics will not help him win the election.
I therefore pit you, Jack Ryan, for sanctioning abhorrent behavior against your opponent.
In fact, it is downright wrong that this prick ius named after the cool main character in the Tom Clancy books, and I think as punishment for this shitty act he should have to change it.
This just cries out for fighting fire with fire. A staffer endlessly taping the staffer who is endlessly taping the candidate. Maybe follow our buddy Justin home to his VAN down by the RIVER!!!
So a Republican uses a scummy and amoral tactic of meaningless harassment - and we are surprised by this?
Obama is going to win that race anyway; success will be his revenge. Meanwhile he should be lauded for his patience, for not quietly asking a few goons to smash the camera and give young Mr. Warfel a major league beat down. … “That’s the Chicago way!”
It is a serious and dangerous situation though. A suspicious, angry young man, possibly with white supremacist leanings, stalking a black candidate for Senate …
I have to agree with the fight fire with fire approach. Obama should have staff members not only following Ryan constantly, but his family as well. Assemble protests in front of the guys house. Dig up ex-girlfriends/boyfriends willing to dish up the dirt on his hidden secrets.
If this brings up the question, “Should Obama stoop to his level?”, my answer has to be yes. Someone throws a rock at you, you swing a sledge hammer at them.
Wha…? I don’t know anything about this case, so enlighten me - what does race have to do with it? If a white person acts like a jackass towards a black person, is that automatically racism to you?
I would fight fire with fire but I would have someone follow the guy doing the taping. Record his behavior and show that to the public. You know someone came up with this idea but this Warfel guy deserves pitting for actually doing it.
But then again, that seems to be par for the course for the GOP these days, which has unofficially adopted the position of “Win every election, by hook or by crook.” That’s the biggest advantage they have over the Democrats, who still have something vaguely resembling a conscience.
That’s a mighty big brush you’re painting with there, rjung.
Tell me, was Rep. Dan Rostenkowski an embodiment of that vaunted Democratic conscience? You may recall his mail fraud conviction and his 17 months in the federal pen.
Or perhaps Rep. Jim Traficant, convicted and in federal prison right now for racketeering, tax evasion and bribery?
Or maybe Georgia state Rep. Billy McKinney, who, when his daughter, Rep. Cynthia McKinney lost reelection, blamed it on the Jews?
You really should be careful about throwing such charges around, when they’re so easily rebutted. The Democrats hold no monopoly on conscience, to be sure.
Sure it may be called a stretch, that’s fair, but I believe that if you are a young white conservative who shaves his head clean and volunteers to run aggressive dirty tricks against a black candidate, then it is possible your motives may be other than partisan. Possible, like 5-1. Possible, hence my use of the word “possibly”.
It is a touchy subject to be sure. But Obama’s safety is paramount; the race for the Senate is as close as ever and nobody wants to see a charismatic bridge-builder like him, a shoo-in for the election, go the way of a Carnahan or a Wellstone.
