Is it stupid to expect more out of Kentucky politics than campaign coordinators who stomp on women's heads (and then demand apologies from their victims) and congressional candidates who don't believe sexual discrimination exists?

Sigh. Via TPM:

The question of gender roles in Kentucky came up in an Oct. 11 debate between the 3rd Congressional District candidates on the state's public television network. The topic was raised by one of those female voters both Tally and Yarmuth will be relying on to win Nov. 2. Here's [the question]:

It is well known that we are the third-worst state for women to live in the nation. We rank at the bottom third of the nation in terms of health and well-being, equity, political leadership and education. I'd like to ask each gentleman what they have in their platform to address these disparities?

To which GOP candidate Todd Lally, running for Congress in the state's 3rd Congressional District, said, "I look at women's issues like any other issue. We have equal rights in this country, we have fought — women have fought very hard for those equal rights. Uh, it's up to them. I mean my wife is a working woman, she works very, very hard and she's been very successful. I've not seen any barriers in her career and I don't believe that exists."

Then, at an October 19 debate, Lally followed up by saying that even though he didn't believe in gender discrimination—he never saw any signs of it while working for the military—people could choose to believe in it if they wanted, rather like God (only I'm betting Lally believes in God). "I'm not saying it doesn't exist, it may exist, I mean surely we wouldn't be talking about this issue if it didn't exist," he said. "I just have never seen it in my career and my life."

How comforting.