marjorie says...
The Santa Fe New Mexican reported this morning that Benny Shendo, Jr., one of the congressional candidates in CD3, crawled into the gutter at a candidate forum last night in Farmington:
"he asked a question of Ben Ray Luján that implied Luján is gay. "You say that you stand up for the people of New Mexico," Shendo said, "and I want to know how you can stand up for the people of New Mexico if you can't stand up to your mom and dad about your lifestyle."Just in case we were unclear about his meaning, Shendo clarified it for the New Mexican in an email:
Shendo's campaign said in an e-mail later that before he was interrupted, he had planned to continue his question by asking Ben Ray Luján about lifestyle "choice, especially, in this day and age when it's much more accepted to be openly gay in public life, but your parents made you pretend to have a girlfriend at public events, for political reasons."Lujan's campaign, predictably, assured the New Mexican that Lujan is not gay. As if it's our business.
Well, like many I'm sure, I've been just shaking my head all day. Some of you will roll your eyes at me, I know, when I ask: Just what is the deal with the Democratic party?
Blatant race-baiting in the national Democratic primary...from a candidate still winning large chunks of the electorate (it pains me to say it).
An overall climate in which sexist comments and jokes are simply, well, acceptable in the context of the first viable female candidate at the presidential level.
And now, here in New Mexico, we have a guy we all want to like pandering to the base homophobia that threads its way through our society.
It goes to show you, just like I've said before, two parties simply aren't enough.
I don't know why Shendo thinks he has the right to know what someone's sexual preferences are, much less badger them at a candidate forum about them. When I think about Lujan, two things come to mind: 1) He has a good voting record on the PRC when it comes to environmental issues. 2) He's the son of one of the most powerful men in the legislature, which I'm quite sure helps him out a whole lot. If I lived in CD3 these are the two things I'd be considering. I don't care, nor is it my business, what Lujan's sexual preferences are.
That Shendo thinks its his business is surprising. I actually don't really believe he does. Rather, he's in a last ditch effort to knock Lujan down, and he's using the sleaziest tack possible: attacking someone based on intrinsic, deeply personal attributes in order to alienate those who are, deep down inside, homophobic to the core. And doing so in a world in which gay people are routinely discriminated against.
On a final note, Lujan's campaign manager replied that Lujan isn't gay. Well, what if he was?
Blogosphere weighs in:
LP on FBIHOP
Barb on DfNM
Jim Baca
Heath Haussamen
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