Carol Shea-Porter: Predictions

I caught all of 8.3 seconds of Carol Shea-Porter, who is running against Jeb Bradley for Congress here in NH. I was immediately scrambling for the radio buttons. That voice. It has the strident tone of a Rosie O’Donnell or Cindy Sheehan, though I don’t doubt Ms. Shea-Porter is more intelligent than both O’Donnell and Sheehan. “He started going negative less than 12 hours after…” Yes Carol, I remember his statement. He criticised your ideas. That’s called campaigning. It’s perfectly normal. “Maybe he feels threatened…” Oh no, not that crap. Not the pop psychology about whether the opponent “feels” something or not. Are we going to go through all that Arne Arneson condescension again? Shoot me now. “I want to have a debate a week…” No, Carol, you really don’t. One debate will get all the people who agree with you energised, because your shrill irritation will resonate with them. But the second time people hear you they’re going to be less excited. Your only hope for debates will be if no one goes and the Concord Monitor reports you favorably, especially if they can work it into the headline. “Shea-Porter Slams Bradley Record On Iraq,” and they call you feisty or something. Get ready for the standard complaints that people don’t want to hear her message, but-she’s-not-going-away, someone-has-to-stand up…Ouch. The “afraid of strong women” gambit may arise as well.

Actually, it’s pretty likely that the Concord Monitor will do that anyway. I have multiple posts over the last year of really trying to get beyond the liberal stereotype and take each writer or candidate individually. But the Democrats seem determined to keep sending caricatures my way. Stay tuned. We'll see if she follows form