The Cynics and Naïfs

Let's not even pretend that Elizabeth Warren's repeating family anecdotes about having Cherokee ancestors is important, substantive in the race for US Senate. What it does illustrate includes:

• First the Boston Herald, dogged closely by the Globe, have been shamelessly puerile in sensationalism over reason and perspective.
• Incumbent Sen. Scott Brown delights in screaming about moot trivialities to shift ears from his terrible record at both state and federal levels.
• Warren's camp seems naive, depending on her successes at the federal level in financial policy and practice, while allowing others to smear her.
• Even fellow Dem candidate Marisa DeFranco got on the bozo bus, apparently loaded with desperation, with such stupid comments as you have to look like a minority to be one.

 Long before this latest media-catalyzed smokescreen and disgrace, we knew the disingenuous, manipulative nature of Brown and his winger wingmen. The first came when they pounced on the "elite hick" humorous comment.

Alas, that has set the tone. Occasionally from DeFranco, and generally from Brown, Pulitzer-hungry papers, and Brown's surrogates (think MA GOP, winger super PACS, highly partisan righty bloggers) present distractions as substance and real issues as invisible.

Every once and awhile, an article has some insight such as in today's NYT. While it does contain a lie from DeFranco about how she hasn't gone  after the Cherokee jive, the Times also has such fair, smart comments in a blog as:

“It says to me that they’re not good on defense, they’re not good in panic mode and they lack a clear, consistent message,” Ms. DeFranco said of Ms. Warren’s campaign.

 Plainly, DeFranco is beside herself in her flurry to get  15% of Dem delegates next week at the convention to advance to the September party primary. She seems to have a bit carried away by joining in the Native American junk.

For her part, Warren's big blunder has been in trying to sidestep democracy by marginalizing other Dem candidates for the office by refusing joint public appearances. That level of cynicism is far below Brown's, but not in keeping with her straight-talking image.

Regardless of whether there's a Dem primary, it's time for substance.  The local papers have sunk so low, they may remained mired. Brown and his surrogates are serious muckers. It'll be up to Warren to be the smart, honest, ethical person on the dais. 

Note: I started this before my recent bike crash. It's less detailed and documented than I'd prefer. You'll have to search for sources.

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Tags: massmarrier, Massachusetts, DeFranco, Scott Brown, Elizabeth Warren, Congress, U.S. Senate