Stand up! Stand up, damn it!
I don’t know why I’m writing about this incident. Maybe its the “handicap” connection. My last piece was about the handicaps of John Mcain, and the Obama campaign’s ignorance, or disregard, or really cruel disregard of them whiling trying to score a gain via political smear. This one is hardly as nasty a case, but rather a somewhat humorous incident reflecting a politician’s ignorance of (or blindness/insensitivity to) someone’s physical handicap. And what was it?
Senator Biden (Veep candidate on the Dem side) was holding a rally in the midwest (Ohio, I think) and following the usual political rally script, “recognized” local politicos in attendance. After mentioning someone (I missed the name, so call him John Doe), he called out, “Stand up John!” When the fellow didn’t, Biden repeated his call, “Stand up. Maybe a third try followed, but finally Biden realized that John was handicapped and in a wheelchair. Biden then exclaimed something to the effect of, “OMG, he can’t, he’s in a wheelchair. Sorry John. Come on everyone, stand up instead….”
I don’t know, it’s an honest mistake, I’m sure. But somehow there seems to be another lesson or two here, for the learning. About politics, political scripts, the seeming friendships and familiarities between politicians, etc., etc. About realness, sincerity, and that sort of stuff. You decide.
Politics is an ugly game. A dirty business. Everbody knows it. Yet everybody does it.
