Arizona Governor Jan Brewer made the national headlines again.The Governor was photographed poking her finger in the Presidents face, while she appeared to be yelling at him. To be sure it was most unseemly and oh so inappropriate, not at all the style of protocol one displays toward the President of the United States, but for those familiar with Brewer’s reputed struggles with, shall we say a wee bit of “overindulgence” it comes as no surprise. Some of her past erratic behavior is legend at the State Capital; a video post in this article offers high lights of previous public gaffes.
Official reports of the testy talking too center on the Governors recollection in her book about the oval office meeting she had with Mr. Obama. She did not care one bit, no sir not one bit, for the uppity attitude she encountered during her visit to discuss issues of immigration and boarder security.
For the cynical observer, the word staged or sandbagged by a crass politician comes to mind, for those who follow Brewer; probably overindulging again seems the proper descriptive.
The incident if anything, perhaps provides a glimpse into the pitfalls of public figures who are suspected of drinking while they politic, it can cause unintended consequences, at least when the leader of the free world is winging into town, the pesky national press corps is just everywhere.
One can understand how the main stream media considers waving a finger in the face of the President unseemly, especially for a public official, like say a Governor. The problem is most of the main stream media, is unaware Governor Brewer’s nick name around the State capital is Otis, a reference to the town drunk from Mayberry.
If one looks charitably at the incident, you might opinion a sense of relief, pointing a quivering digit in the presidents face was all Jan Brewer did this afternoon, some days she is known to sign bills that abrogate constitutional rights and make it illegal for a person of color to reside in the State.
Arizona is a focal point in the National debate over race and immigration issues, the Governor often speaks and acts as one raised in the good old days, a time wistfully recalled by many an older republican as an era when people knew their place.
While Arizona is still dominated by a majority of individuals who are uncomfortable with people of other ethnic backgrounds or all too often openly racist, I speculate if Barack Obama walked on water, they would simply consider it evidence of an inability to swim.
Times though are happily changing, even some republicans have become embarrassed by the depth of ignorance and complete absence of character in fellow republicans, Ex-Senate President and now former office holder, Russell Pearce, infamous for championing an immigration bill that lead to the States papers please law for anyone who isn’t white, was kicked out of office in a recall by a fellow republican,
County Attorney Andrew Thomas resigned from office in the face of disbarment hearings while his partner in corruption Sheriff Joe Arpaio, once considered untouchable will probably face federal indictment in a cornucopia of criminal and civil rights offenses.
Phoenix the State’s largest metropolitan area is becoming a democratic strong hold, older conservative business leaders, who once controlled the State GOP, are being replaced by a new generation of conservatives who privately acknowledge race based campaigning is a rapidly shrinking demographic both nationally and in Arizona.
Change can never come soon enough for those on the short end of institutional inequity, but the perception Governor Brewer’s staff clearly hoped to craft backfired and the audience and electoral support for such behavior is limited to those who consider FOX fair and balanced
