Beth Macy, last week, went public with her desire to schedule three candidate debates with Ben Cline, the Sixth District MAGA incumbent, coinciding with the commencement of voting in their congressional race.
On Monday, the Cline campaign released a statement “after accepting invitations to debate his Democrat opponent” that included a schedule set for three candidate forums, including one hosted by a MAGA business group.
The one problem here: the Cline folks didn’t coordinate with the Macy folks about the schedule.
“Instead, yesterday he issued a blanket announcement of his preferred slate of candidate forums – not actual debates – which amounts to a chicken-you-know-what response. A news organization invited us both to appear at a debate it planned to host, but he failed to reply, for fear of, you know, actually having to debate me,” Macy said in a statement issued on her behalf by her campaign on Tuesday.
ICYMI
So, this was the dude dictating to the lady when, where and how things would be done.
Sounds about what you’d expect from the patriarchy.
The Cline side decided unilaterally on joint appearances with Rotary Clubs in Salem and Harrisonburg, which, fine – Rotary Clubs are mostly harmless – and also a forum in the Winchester/Frederick County area hosted by an entity that calls itself the Small Business Freedom Alliance, which advertises itself on its website as “a group of local business owners/citizens who stand against Federal and State overreach that adversely impacts our business operations.”
Yeah, they come across as being on the up-and-up.
The group’s Facebook page is a list of announcements of campaign events for Republican candidates, warnings about government coming for your guns and dark predictions about the redistricting referendum.
Its origin story, from its website, tells us that it sprang out of “three local business owners feeling very frustrated about the responses to the Covid 19 Virus from our local, state, and federal governments.”
Geez, I wonder why Ben Cline wants this group to host a candidate forum?
“I appreciate these opportunities to engage in meaningful dialogue with voters about the issues that matter most in their daily lives,” Cline said in a statement released on his behalf by his campaign. “Since my election in 2018, I have fought in Congress for the citizens of the Sixth District to defend their constitutional rights, advance their economic security, and keep their communities safe. I will continue to stand up for our shared conservative values and make sure the voices of the Sixth District are heard in Washington. I look forward to making that case to voters and advancing solutions that will continue American greatness for another 250 years.”
I doubt that I’m the only person here with the sense that Ben Cline isn’t being authentic when he allows himself to be quoted saying this.
Needless to say, the forums announced by Cline yesterday aren’t going to happen. Macy made that much clear today.
“I look forward to working with the Cline team on actually scheduling real debates, in good faith,” Macy said, finishing up with a jab.
“Ben, kick off your training wheels, and actually engage on the issues like the voters of the Sixth District deserve. For once, you need to earn the job you’re applying for,” Macy said.
Update: Tuesday, 5:08 p.m. The Ben Cline campaign put out a statement claiming, falsely – and egregiously so – that the Beth Macy campaign “smeared the service clubs and their events in a Roanoke Times article, labeling them as ‘phony.’”
The Roanoke Times article referenced doesn’t include the word “phony,” for starters.
And, surprise, there’s no “smearing” of service clubs.
The quote from Macy in the story is from the same statement from the campaign that we quoted above.
Go ahead and re-read the statement from Macy there.
There’s no “smearing” there, nothing close.
Ben Cline seems to have his panties in a bunch.
As is evidenced by this statement on the non-“smearing” from Macy:
“Whether Rotary, Ruritan, Lions, Kiwanis, or any of the other many service clubs at work throughout the district, these organizations play a critical role serving those in need, strengthening communities, and supporting important charitable causes. It is unfortunate that my opponent thinks these groups are not legitimate organizations or capable of successfully sponsoring important events to inform their respective communities,” Cline said in the statement.
What in god’s name is he going on there about?
But wait, there’s more.
“My opponent challenged me to three debates, which now appears to be little more than a messaging ploy,” Cline went on. “I have always been committed to debating my opponents, accepting and participating in several events during each of my campaigns. Apparently my opponent’s intention was to play political games, because if she were serious about debating me, she would have accepted the same three invitations that I did.
“I hope my opponent reconsiders her poor treatment of our community leaders and accepts their invitations to engage in meaningful conversations with voters about the issues that matter to them.”
I hate to be the guy to have to say it, but Ben Cline, man, he really doesn’t want to have to be in the same room with Beth Macy.
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Chris Graham
