If they have a strong case to make to the electorate, candidates seize opportunities to engage with reporters: especially if they are in a tight race fighting for every last vote.
Have you seen Barbara?
If so, please report sightings to VA-10 constituents.
On the eve of election day, count me among those surprised that Barbara Comstock (#VA10) seems to be running away from reporters almost as fast as she runs away from constituents.
Here are three examples that came to my attention just this morning:
.@barbaracomstock hides from the #WSJ. “Ms. Comstock’s campaign didn’t respond to several requests to make her available to comment for this article.” #VA10 https://t.co/XCL24ANAZX
— LoudounVA10🇺🇸 (@LoudounVA10) November 4, 2018
Omg I saw this AFTER I wrote that tweet, at the Prince William Times, which wasn’t even one of the many outlets I’ve had his exchange with. Can you imagine? #VA10 https://t.co/pZudfpyjG0 pic.twitter.com/9mtt0noadm
— Aaron Fritschner (@Fritschner) November 4, 2018
Notes: Kudos to Prince William Times team for not being caught in “climate silence”, for having one of their fast 5 being a reasonable question re perception as to ability to enact policy to #ActOnClimate. All four of the Democratic Party candidates accurately state that it is possible to enact policy to (help) address climate change while three Republicans get it wrong with “no” answers and Comstock’s “no” (based on her record”) is a revealing “no response”. Regretfully, as opposed to the summary table, the article doesn’t discuss this question and the candidates’ responses.
Even after yesterday this one floored me. #VA10https://t.co/ajX61t1MAt
“Comstock did not respond to several requests for an interview” …with the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps’ Sidonie Gillette.
Here is a picture of @JenniferWexton being interviewed by Sidonie: pic.twitter.com/BvN2g9NQlE
— Aaron Fritschner (@Fritschner) November 5, 2018
Perhaps Comstock is hiding from “not in the bag” journalists due to the opening phrase of this post: “If they have a strong case to make to the electorate.”
Perhaps Comstock (and her team) feared that these journalists, from the WSJ to Scholastic Kids Press Corps, would take the time to
- look into her and her campaign’s (and associates, like the NRCC’s) lies and distortions about her record and about her opponent;
- report honestly about Comstock’s record (as lackey to NRA and Donald Trump);
- make clear the Potemkin village that Comstock has sought to create that is at odds with her record and ideology.
As written elsewhere, it is this author’s belief that Comstock’s support maxes at 35-40 percent of the electorate if voters understand the reality of her record and ideology.
In any event, as Meaghan so eloquently puts it, perhaps reporters are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Comstock “constituent”.
This is what its like being her constituent too. #VA10 https://t.co/DYcrzARHd3
— Meaghan (@meaghang) November 5, 2018
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