Submitted by Mary Ellen Markowitz
In the October 13 Greenwich Time article, entitled, “Greenwich GOP cries foul over political ad,” RTC Chair Dan Quigley expresses concern that the posting by Greenwich Voices for Democracy video of certain answers by Republican candidates at the LWV debate “erodes the discourse further.”
Upon reading that, I actually laughed out loud. The GOP, in the past and now, tweets out doctored videos of Democratic candidates that dangerously mischaracterize and take out of context candidates’ words to slander their opponents. The video ad in question is the exact verbiage of the GOP candidates. It highlights their answers to the important question as to whether they support a women’s right to choose.
To be clear, the GOP twisted words from the LWV voter’s debate last year to create a negative ad about the Dem. Candidate for First Selectman and continues to do so in this year’s state senate race. They are ruthlessly slicing videos and comments of Sen. Alex Kasser’s to create false and misleading video ads.
If the RTC Chair is truly concerned about the quality of discourse, why doesn’t he, or the Republican Candidates themselves, distance themselves from the racist, misogynistic, and antidemocratic statements coming from the leaders of their party. The best way for the Republican party in Greenwich to elevate political discourse in Greenwich is to renounce the abhorrent statements coming from State and National leaders in their party, with a clear and full throated denunciation of President Trump’s almost daily head spinning statements that are outside the mainstream of what any one of us would find acceptable coming out of the mouth of our family or friends.
As to the substance of the issue being addressed in the video itself, it is very easy for the Republican candidates to take this off the table: just come out with a clear statement that if the newly constituted US Supreme Court reverses Roe v Wade, they would vote as CT State legislators to codify into State law a woman’s right to choose an abortion. In the absence of a clear and unambiguous pro choice statement, the only conclusion one can make is that these Republican candidates will toe the Republican party line and oppose pro choice legislation. If you value a women’s right to have agency over her own body, then vote for the Democrats – Row A all the way.