How's Reichert doing in the polls? If he's way ahead, it's always the strategy for the leader not to debate the opponent. That only helps the person who is behind.

This is indeed pretty standard fare for an incumbent congressman. Debates? Why? The only possible outcome for Reichert is losing.

Matt @1,

Which translates to Reichert being afraid to debate DelBene. I mean, if he's so far ahead and he's such a great congressman, what's there to be afraid of?

JF @2,

Get used to it.

He's way ahead, Matt. Way, way ahead. And DelBene's a day late and a dollar short, goddammit. I had hopes for this challenger, but between the whole "forgot to vote in nine elections the last four years" thing, and that her big ad buy misses Reichert by a mile, parroting wingnut economics, I shoulda saved myself the rollercoaster.

On the bright side, if Reichert drops dead from a brain clot she miiiight beat him.

The idea of Sheriff Hairspray being too BUSY, when he has accomplished exactly fuck-all as a "Representative" of the 8th is fucking laughable.
I would love to read more... if only SLOG had a link in the side bar to a local political blog.
I'm just sayin'

So what you really mean, is: Dave Reichert: Brain-Damaged or a Coward?

Thanks for reinforcing pussy as another word for: "A craven, yellow-bellied, gutless, fainthearted coward." Dude power!

538's got Reichert with a 92.9% chance of victory, for whatever that's worth.

I'd say he's both.

But too much of a coward to admit it.

femwanderluster @7,

It's a word I struggle over. But there's no other word that emasculates the same way, and since I'm targeting this at brawny he-man Reichert, I wanted to use a word that would personally offend him by implication. "Coward" simply isn't strong enough.

you could say wussy.

@10 I hope you'll struggle harder next time. I'm glad you're here, but the pee-on-the-hydrant thing's kind of tired.

So Goldy, did he debate his challenger last time, when things were close? How well did he do against her? I can't recall her name but I remember seeing here on SLOG that it was a close contest. Gus says it's nowhere near close this time around.

You can call it "fear" if you like, but it looks like fear of taking a risk that would have little reward, which isn't the same as fear of being made to look foolish.

Goldy, insofar as talking directly to Reichert, sure.

Don't be surprised when word usage like that alienates progressive readers, though. To me, using "pussy" in this context just serves to add more power to the word and it's history as a misogynist slur, especially in light of trying to emasculate a man. It just doesn't seem necessary to your core message (especially re: all the hub-bub on SLOG about the word "cunt"). My two cents.

I thought the same thing when Jon Stewart was made fun of for being "a little girl" on the Daily Show the other day for a sketch. They're also guilty of this casual usage (A LOT, actually). Every time it strikes me how many other ways the same message can be conveyed without going the "haha you're like a girl, and being a girl is bad!" route. It's unnecessary.

@14 - Where's the outrage when someone is called a dick?

Lack of a better word? How about scrotum, always hiding behind his dick of a spokesperson.

Let's pass a law that if they want public funds they have to do x number of public debates. No debates=no $$$.

14: people call men little girls/pussies when they are being weak because, um, girls are ACTUALLY physically weaker than boys. I'm sorry you are insulted by this, but it's a fact. Doesn't make it any more right, but it does explain why the word is used.

But like 15 said, where are you when someone gets called a dick when they are being overtly mean or aggressive?

I've been putting some thought into this one.

Is he a wussy coward.

Or a cowardly wuss?

I'm going to have to go with the latter.

@14 -

I thought the same thing when Jon Stewart was made fun of for being "a little girl" on the Daily Show the other day for a sketch.

Whoosh ... right over your head. What that skit was doing was mocking Fox News's own "body language analyst" segment after Jon's interview on the O'Reilly Factor, where this kind of ridiculous discourse was actually given serious treatment. John/Olivia were playing the part of clowns here, presenting playground taunting as though it were actual news material.

If he was just brain-damaged, the smart thing would be to milk it for the sympathy votes.

If he were just a pussy, he wouldn't have any reason to be afraid to milk it for the sympathy votes. Pussies are typically usually all about sympathy votes.

He's a brain-damaged pussy.

femwanderluster @14,

It's a complicated issue. Part of the power of this word is that it is offensive.

jf @18,

"Be regular and orderly in your life like a bourgeois, so that you may be violent and original in your work."
-- Gustave Flaubert

Yep. I certainly find it offensive and I don't agree with your usage because I think the power is lopsided; not in the favor of the way you used it here. I understand what you mean, I just don't agree. Thanks for engaging with me, though, I appreciate hearing your take on it.

@26 To the guy using the phrase "unbunch our panties" Yeah, this may be new to you, but that's a misogynist phrase. Credibility? Gone.

@24, you've taken the "violent" part of Flaubert's famous maxim to heart, but I hope you'll be careful in future to live up to the "and original" bit - he didn't make it optional, you know.

@2, 18

You have got to be fucking kidding!

Who was the most cowardly man ever to inhabit the White House?

Well, no other than the most conservative man to ever occupy the White House, George W. Bush. You know, the guy that received deferments to get out of going to Vietnam (as opposed to his opponents, Al Gore and John Kerry, who both served in Vietnam). And then, he didn't even show up for drill with the Air National Guard; he went AWOL.

And then he became Governor of Texas (because of his daddy), where he was the most death penalty friendly governor in Texas history. And then he became President (because of his daddy), where he failed to see the threat of Osama Bin Ladin and then he started an unnecessary and failed war and occupation of Iraq (a war in which NONE of his relatives served).

So let's see:

George Bush JR -- Coward and traitor
John Kerry -- Veteran
Al Gore -- Veteran

Hmm Looks like the biggest cowards around are conservatives.

PS. I served my country in the National Guard (and I made all my drills) for 7.5 years in a time of peace.

Have you ever served your country in the military or in a job where you could be hurt or killed (ie police officer, fireman)?

I seriously doubt it!

Interesting about how words mean different things to different people. Look at the word "cunt" -- some feminists (mostly 2nd wave) find it disparaging, other feminists find it empowering (mostly third wave), while in Scotland, it is simply slang for a mate, or close friend (see: Irvine Welsh's "Traingspotting", "Ecstacy", etc., etc.).

As a man in my 30s with strong women surrounding him (as friends, lovers, grand mothers and a mother). in my mind,

Vagina is old, wilting and boring

Pussy is beautiful, sexy and vibrant, like a flower blooming in the sun, but also soft

Cunt is tough, independent, goddess-like, hardcore, invigorating and also sexy

Me: I love the word "cunt" and "pussy" and use them depending on who I'm with.