Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
In this new series, "Questions for Martha McSally," we pose questions to the McSally campaign about her positions on current hot topics -- I am not going to give her a free pass until after the GOP primary like our local media did in 2012.
I have never seen a candidate so controlled by handlers and so afraid of answering substantive questions from the media. I have speculated previously "it is painfully obvious that Martha McSally is a vacuous candidate who does not know enough about any subject to offer a thoughtful and detailed explanation of her positions. So she continues to hide in the bunker and refuses to offer any detailed explanations of her positions."
Today, Martha McSally actually gives an answer that confirms my suspicion. She is ill-informed, and ill-prepared -- and frankly, too intellectually incurious and lazy, and lacking in discipline -- to be a qualified candidate for Congress.
Jim Nintzel writes at the Tucson Weekly, Detail Work:
In an interview with the Weekly earlier this month, McSally explained that she generally doesn't know enough about the details of legislation to make a good decision about how she would vote on it.
"I'm not in Congress, I don't have a staff, I don't have the briefings," McSally said. "I'm not going to spend all of my time making comments on legislation I haven't studied or been briefed on or have the same sort of opportunities that a member of Congress has. I'd be spending literally day and night if I'm going to comment on every single piece of legislation that comes up, and I'm not going to just willy-nilly go, 'Yeah, I would have voted for that or I wouldn't have voted for that' if I haven't really studied it."
McSally said sharing her general principles ought to be enough for voters, and that Southern Arizonans were not interested in how she would vote on legislation this year.
"The only people who are pushing me on this are the media," McSally said. "Not constituents. Not voters. Voters want to know what my philosophies are."
This is an admission against interest that she is ill-informed, ill-prepared, too intellectually incurious and lazy, and lacking in discipline to effectively serve as a member of Congress. If I was vetting this candidate, my recommendation to the party would be that McSally should not be a candidate for public office.
Let's get something straight, Ms. McSally: I am a voter in CD 2 and that makes me your potential constituent. You would not represent just the Tea-Publicans who listen to talk radio and FAUX News all day and celebrate their ignorance, as you apparently are comfortable doing. You would represent all the voters of the district. And there are many voters in this district who are extremely well-informed on matters of public policy. They are "not in Congress, don't have a staff, and don't have briefings" -- what a lame-ass excuse. They are intellectually curious and disciplined enough to take the time to study the issues and legislation to be informed voters.
These well-informed voters want to know where you stand on the specifics of legislation that you now have had over three years to prepare yourself as a candidate to answer. What have you been doing with your time? You freely admit that "I don't know enough about the details of legislation to make a good decision." Being a member of Congress is hard work, Ms. McSally. Your whining that "I'd be spending literally day and night" studying the issues and legislation is not going to cut it with informed voters -- that's the job description of a member of Congress.
And what a cavalier attitude to suggest that "my general principles ought to be enough for voters." Such arrogance. How dare you be so dismissive to suggest that "Southern Arizonans are not interested in how I would vote on legislation." This is exactly what Southern Arizonans are interested in knowing to make an informed decision as a voter.
Your "philosophy" may be enough to get you through a Tea Party ideological litmus test primary, but general election voters are not the right-wing Kool-Aid drinkers, Ms. McSally. They expect and demand more. And you are a terrible candidate.
Can't the GOP do better than this?
Voters in Congressional District 2 have the right to know your positions on current hot topics, Ms. McSally. You can only hide so long before the truth wins out.
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