Even before Allen released today’s statement confirming his Jewish heritage, I had enough of the back and forth bickering of the children of the blogsphere over it. It has been a sad 24+ hours with so much vitriol spewing back and forth over this.
So many have seized on this as being something other than what I saw: a well-rehearsed candidate who was thrown a curveball and didn’t know how to respond. If anything, I blame Allen’s handlers for allowing this to become a mountain out of a molehill by not preparing their candidate for the question, which has been floating around the web for some time now. Surely they had to have known the question would be asked, if not yesterday, then at some point. Irrelevant? Yep. Newsworthy? Only because he didn’t answer. Had they properly prepared their candidate, it wouldn’t have been. A simple “Yes. What’s your point?” wold have cut this nonsense off at the knees.
In any event, it’s over. Can we please now talk about the issues?
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
So who are the “adults” as opposed to the “children” in the blogosphere? Care to name a few?
You sure set a “good” example to the “children” by your tone..
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Vivian, I do not include you in this, because you’ve been consistent in seeing this whole flap as nothing.
But the left blogosphere went nuts over this thinking they had macaca two, and they look very, very foolish now, not to mention negative and overreaching.
Now that it slapped them back in the face, they are all saying “let’s drop this and talk about issues,” like an arsonist telling people to put out a fire.
I don’t buy their newfound ethics.
Again, I don’t include you in that, but if the Webb supporters have egg on their faces, I’m not handing them a towel.
Don’t get your hopes up mame.
Have you visited the Senator Allen’s campaign home page?
http://www.georgeallen.com
Looks like the boy has cued up a whinning, lie-filled commercial to stem his losses with the Reagan fans. And plastered the walls with testimony from the Annapolis 30 year anniversary malcontents reunion. At what point can we expect the U.S.Senator to act…senatorial?
Bubby, it’s spelled ma’am. I think Vivian nailed this on the head. Granted it wasn’t something Allen was prepared for, but who is? I think the crowd reaction said it all when they booed. This is meant to be a debate on the issues. I want issues! I WANT issues! I WANT ISSUES!
We need a chant like this, except change I to We. Perhaps that will get idiotic panelists with their stupid questions to stay at home and give the people of Virginia a chance to hear the candidates on the issues
I think this Allen issue does raise an interesting question:
1. Most people that I know accept the “free exercise” clause of the first amendment. As a practical matter I don’t know of anyone who actually disputes the right of an individual to practice, or not practice an organized religion (except perhaps Justice Scalia–who stated in his decision on school prayer that only Islam, Judaism, and Christianity were protected belief systems under the Constitution).
2. As a political matter, while this topic “shouldn’t” be an issue–I suspect that it is.
Case in point: In 2005 Tim Kaine highlighted his Catholic beliefs during his run for Governor. I think it’s reasonable to assume that he made his faith public because it was useful politically. Even George Allen consistently highlights his Christian faith. These politicians are not exceptions–George Bush in particular has made a very public point of expressing his Christian beliefs.
Question: Would a Buddhist, Muslim, agnostic, or atheist be able to win statewide office in Virginia?
My hope, is that this would not be an issue either way–in fact, if we say that religious faith should not be an issue then this should be the case.
However, is this the case?