Dale Cardwell and the Cynicism of the Right Blogosphere

Introduction:
Because I have been following the story of the fiasco at Emory University, Grady Hospital and beyond, I am in a unique position to understand the plight of one Dale Cardwell, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Georgia. Some of the same people that I find have acted cynically towards him will no doubt cynically accuse me of being too close to the situation. I don't believe that is so at all, and in fact the truth is that I know things that the cynics don't. That hasn't stopped most of them from snickering at Cardwell in a childish and condescending manner. One of my least favorite things about the blogosphere is the tendency of most of it to dwell too much on triviality and lose sight of what is important. The right blogosphere's fascination with Cardwell's publicity stunt is just one of those moments. Now, without further adieu...

I found a curious thing around the right blogosphere over the last couple of days. They have all become fascinated with a publicity stunt by long shot candidate for the U.S. Senate in the state of Georgia on the Democratic side.

It also opens you up to having another candidate, someone who is credible, jump into the Democratic primary and beat your butt off that pole and out of nomination.

Dale, come down. I know you want high name identification so you can beat Snuggles. But when people talk “high name id,” they don't mean 300 feet in the air. They mean the number of voters who know who you are.

I bet a good number of voters will now know who you are. And they're going to think you are nuts.

Cardwell will spend the next several days on top of a scaffold about three hundred feet in the air in order to draw attention to his campaign. It appears much of the right blogsophere, in Georgia and beyond, is amuse by this and has run with this story in a cynical attempt to snicker and make fun of an ideological rival. Now, there are several things here. First, this is Cardwell's first campaign. Thus, he will do some goofy things as any novice campaigner will do. Second, I have always found that political opponents are the last people to judge any political move objectively. Third, and most important, who cares? Is it really the best use of folk's time, to snicker at a political candidate trying a stunt to gain attention?

The most obscene dig was this...

Former "investigative reporter" Dale Cardwell has a message. He's the guy who will work for the people of Georgia, not the "big corporations who fund the campaigns of elected officials and then tell them what they can and can't do". It's time to run the crooks out of Washington.

First, a bit of background...Dale Cardwell is an investigative reporter by trade. This blogge perceives Cardwell's work as an investigative reporter to be so lacking that they felt the need to wrap quotation marks around the words. This blogger doesn't know what I know.

For instance, a few years ago Syd Dorsey, outgoing sheriff, murdered Derwin Brown, the incoming sheriff. After his conviction, the Sheriff's department nearly built Dorsey the penthouse of jail cells. Nearly I say, because Dale Cardwell got wind of this and exposed the corruption and forced the sheriff's department to treat Dorsey like the murderer that he is.

Furthermore, Cardwell's work ticked off so many bad guys that he actually wound up on the exact same hit list as the murdered hero, Derwin Brown. A member of the sheriff's department spent about a month living in Cardwell's home because that is how seriously they took the threat.

Now, you want to talk about cynicism. Here is a marginal blogger condescending towards Cardwell's work as an INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER. With all due respect to the right blogosphere, the minute that any of you tick of enough bad guys that someone puts a hit on you is the minute that you have earned the credibility to condescend to Cardwell's work as an investigative reporter.

The cynicism doesn't stop there though. Cardwell's opponent in the primary is one Vernon Jones. Jones is almost certainly a multiple rapist, he's been involved in several shady land deals, and he currently presides over one of the most corrupt police departments (DeKalb County where the outgoing sheriff, Syd Dorsey murdered the incoming sheriff Derwin Brown) and also presides over the corrupt and troubled Grady Hospital. What makes me cynical is how this corrupt and evil individual is not only running for U.S. Senate but actually winning in the primaries. Rather than focusing on the atrocious behavior of Georgia Democrats who apparently have no problem with this likely multiple rapist because he will likely win the primary. Of course, Conservative bloggers have no use for that story when they can spend so much time condescending towards Cardwell.

What's really interesting is that Cardwell's investigative career came up against Jones many, many times. In fact, nothing I have just said is of any new news to Cardwell. He exposed much of the corruption himself of what I speak of. In fact, it is likely that Cardwell ran in part at least because he knows all too well just how corrupt and evil Jones is. Cardwell is not the first political opponent to run against Jones. A couple years back Ron Marshall, of the Grady Coalition, challenged Jones for Dekalb County CEO. For his trouble, Marshall was routinely followed, he wound up on the terror watch list, and his house was often staked out. Marshall lost rather decisively like Cardwell is likely to do.

What is interesting about all of this is that despite knowing all of this about Jones, one is unlikely to hear Cardwell use it. That's because this political novice does know all too well that if a white man ever accuses a black man of malfeasance, then that black man reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a trusty card: the race card.

Now, not for nothing, but in the race for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in Georgia, I find plenty to be cynical about and Cardwell going up three hundred feet is not a priority. The right blogosphere doesn't analyze the despicable nature in which this likely multiple rapist continues to win elections. The right blogosphere doesn't talk about the political climate that fosters a campaign in which a white opponent doesn't touch upon his opponents plethora of ethical lapses because then they would be accused of racism. The right blogosphere doesn't even mention how obscene it would be for such a corrupt individual to represent a major party for the U.S. Senate. No, the only thing the right blogosphere cares about is a political stunt to get attention.

With all due respect to all the right bloggers, you have given me plenty to be cynical about.