The other Bradley effect

[sigma7]

Ashley Todd, a Pittsburgh McCain campaign volunteer, claimed to have been mugged and sexually assaulted by "a dark-skinned black man, 6 feet 4 inches tall, 200 pounds with a medium build, short black hair and brown eyes." And after noticing the McCain sticker on her car, "he" used a knife to scratch the letter "B" into her face. Backwards, as it turns out.



All this must look pretty convincing in the mirror, but not so much to skeptical police and an outright disbelieving blogosphere. Next thing you know the names "Tawana Bradley" and "Morton Downey Jr." are being bandied about, and empathy on the left and the right evaporated. And as I type this, local media's reporting that cops have a confession of fabrication on her part. Nice.

A FOX News VP is saying that this means the end of the McCain candidacy, but that's ridiculous on five different levels -- yes, Pennsylvania's a swing state, but it isn't populated by idiots, Ashley Todd notwithstanding. The left and the right were keen to clue into the sub-Encyclopedia-Brown-level clues that something wasn't quite kosher here, and this obviously disturbed individual's actions and allegations are not the product of policy or politics. Linking McCain, his party or his philosophies to this event does a disservice to the national dialogue, and I don't see it gaining traction with anyone except the most superficial observers. Hm.

Comments

[brightrosefox.livejournal.com]

I wonder, did she artfully apply makeup, or did she shove herself in a wall and then draw on her face with a red Sharpie? I don't even believe the "bruising" around her eye. I saw better black eye bruising on an episode of "One Tre Hill" -- and the character had two very, very black eyes.

[sigma7.livejournal.com]

I'm wondering if the lack of effort is a good or bad thing. It's been a while since I had a black eye (I'm guessing high school baseball, maybe earlier, before my reflexes became honed by training pinball), so I can't quite recall. I guess it would've been too easy if she'd staggered in looking made-up like a raccoon and grasping with her little hands.

[brightrosefox.livejournal.com]

Black eyes come in many flavors. If she'd really had one from an attack, I imagine it would be much more colorful than what was in that photo.

[rainfletcher.livejournal.com]

I think the Fox VP's assessment is a bit much, but this is a -- wow, I need to find another term than Black Eye, don't I? -- well, it's a good, sharp kick in the 'nads to his campaign, at any rate. His People have been busily dismissing concerns of stirring up race/class unrest, and now here's a legit piece of race-baiting. I agree that reasonable people will recognize that this person is a nutjob, but I question the quantity of reasonable people. Especially of late.

And because I am cynical, I wouldn't be surprised if Fox Guy was blowing this out of proportion so that they can eventually use her as a (partial, at least) scapegoat for a McCain loss in Pennsylvania (if not elsewhere).

[sigma7.livejournal.com]

Given current aggregate polling putting McCain down 11 in PA, blaming her for losing is a bit like blaming the Chiefs blowout against Tennessee on their punter (still your MVP, folks). I'm guessing he saw the potential explosive implications of Obama-fueled-race-war as the McCain camp's last best hope for peace electoral triumph, because nothing else is panning out.

[lacrimaeveneris.livejournal.com]

Oh wow. First, worst fake black eye ever. Second, WHY THE RACE BAITING? Seriously.

[sigma7.livejournal.com]

Her most recent statement says she doesn't remember how the "B" got on her face. Which is slightly better than copping to the fact that you didn't take the mirror-image into account.

[chaobell]

Of course I and most reasonably sentient people can see this is a simple case of "one idiot doing idiotic crap" but still--if John McCain has two brain cells to rub together, he needs to make some noise to the effect of "I didn't condone or order this." And then immediately, if not sooner, get on the horn to whoever is in charge of the campaign office the idiot works for and bawl that person out until he or she agrees to relieve the idiot of any campaign-related duties she might have had.

Also, update 3 on the Post-Gazette article raises a very good point.

[sigma7.livejournal.com]

My esteem for A&M would skyrocket if they did follow through on that -- shades of Blair Hornstine.

[motteditor.livejournal.com]

I'm just annoyed because I wasn't going to put the original story in the paper -- it seemed fishy to me. But the fact that it happened in state (even if on the other side) and that I might be letting my own bias influence me convinced me to change my mind. Dang it; I should have trusted my first instinct.

[sigma7.livejournal.com]

Not your fault you -- or really, anyone -- extended to this woman the benefit of the doubt, because mentally healthy people don't make this up. But I don't blame anyone for disbelieving her, either -- even before the picture, there's a formulaic quality to the act that presses plausibility. I'd rather risk gullibility and vulnerability to the malicious and delusional than being oblivious to those genuinely afflicted.

[ladymoondancer.livejournal.com]

I was on a political thread on a forum when this hit and one of the first things a poster said--before the picture of her was revealed--was "I'll bet the "B" is backwards." And then it WAS. It was goddamn hilarious.

[sigma7.livejournal.com]

Find that person and give them a high-five for me. Wow, even I didn't think that little of the human race....

[beagle1971.livejournal.com]

Why not an "O"? Criminy. Can't get that backwards. Or would that have been TOO obvious.

[sigma7.livejournal.com]

I'm guessing she didn't want to show the entire world her "O"-face.

[beagle1971.livejournal.com]

O Rly?

[redmonster.livejournal.com]

It gets even stranger.

[mark-jones-jnr.livejournal.com]

This is a black eye...



This is makeup...