Tuesday, April 02, 2013

ashley: the sliming


Ashley Judd, the movie star, has decided not to run for the Senate, at least not this year. Too bad. Her statement is at her web site (ashleyjudd.com), but she doesn't say much about the reasons why she dropped out.

I don't know what all was behind her decision. When she told a private dinner full of supporters that she'd been raped twice, and was tough enough because of that to handle Mitch McConneell, and word of that got out, do you think that had something to do with it?

The problem is she never said any such thing.



Judd told a group of supporters at a private dinner in Louisville, “I have been raped twice, so I think I can handle Mitch McConnell.” The actress’ apparent flippant comparison of a political campaign to sexual assault spread like ebola across the intenet, leading some to classify Judd as the Democratic version of Todd Akin.The problem is, it never happened.

I was at that dinner and never heard her say anything remotely like that. What’s more, such a statement would have been completely inconsistent with the way I’ve heard Ashley discuss her horrifying experiences as the youthful victim of sexual assault—how they defined her in adulthood; how they propelled her to champion women’s empowerment across the globe.

The lie was spread anonymously, of course.

This is typical; you have a dangerous opponent you need to take down. First, you scrutinize his or her personal history, looking for dirt you can use. If you don't find anything, you make shit up.

And yeah, I know Democrats do it too. But they're not nearly as good at it as the Repus, who get a lot of practice.

This is a real shame, considering that Judd's politics are as attractive and sexy compared to McConnell's as her face and body are, compared to his.
 

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