Front page Metro Section in today's Oregonian - the story about former state senator Neil Bryant, who had to withdraw his nomination to be a board member of OHSU. Why?
Because, for a joke, he wrote "white/male" in the box asking whether he had any disabilities.
OK, now am I alone in finding that kind of funny? Sure, perhaps it's a little inappropriate, given that the form is an official government document and all, used for vetting applicants for the senate confirmation process.
I don't know what is worse - Bryant having to withdraw, or the fact he found it necessary to act so nauseatingly obsequious in his apology.
Am I wrong here? Is that really so offensive?
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4 comments:
He showed that he's a clumsy politician.
The best way to spin that comment was to insist that he meant that being a white male was a disability because it insulates him from fully appreciating the challenges faced by minorities.
That rationalization only took me a couple of minutes to conjure. A good politician would have come up with that on the spot.
Good one Pancho!
You should sign up as a political crisis consultant.
Ditto, hat tip to Pancho.
Here's my theory of why Bryant had to pay the price no matter what.
The politocracy will never forgive him for failing to expunge the double majority rule (applicable to local tax measures) when, as state Senator, Bryant re-negotiated Son of 5 with Bill Sizemore.
Politicians do not stand in the way of unlimited government growth without eventually having to pay a price. Sen. Bryant, the Kulongoscopy Crowd are professional enough to know that revenge is best served cold.
Stepping back for a moment for additional perspective, this reveals how political candidacy itself is typically the result of an adverse pre-selection process. Those who would least defend liberty and private property usually become candidates.
And because many voters have caught on to the fakery - they realize that their candidate vote rarely makes much difference in policy outcomes - turnout declines. It's just not in an ordinary citizen's rational self-interest to pay attention to candidate elections. It devolves to a choice between more of less or less of more. Who cares?
On the other hand, initiative ballot measures are where the voter can make a difference by speaking up. That is, until the state Supreme Court upholds Judge James' ruling that our 100 year-old initiative process is illegal.
In any event, here in Oregon we can simply be correct by voting opposite The Bore-egonian's endorsements.
Ramon
What I want to know is who he thought would read the application.
If he just did it to be funny, thats kind of stupid behavior for a state Senator (though I laughed hard the first time I read the story). I just have this image of him not being able to resist doing something on the application because he was being appointed by a Democrat.
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