Joe Wilson’s shout out during President Obama’s address to Congress shocked many of his colleagues and friends. It also raised a storm of criticism from a host of Democrats.
His defenders explain it away as Wilson being loosing it on a subject over which he is passionate. Let’s hold that explanation in reserve and measure it by what is evident for any observer to put together.
1. Wilson is a lawyer by profession. Lawyers are trained to control their emotions and to remain cool, deliberate and thoughtful when others panic. As a practicing lawyer for over twenty years he has honed the lawyerly skill of anticipating an argument and then honing a phrase or statement so that its impact will have maximum affect.
2. Wilson practices his skills in the military for 31 years and retired as a colonel. Military personnel are well drilled in remaining calm, cool and collected in the heat of battle. A military officer who is prone to losing their emotions will soon be out of the military. Officers are models of decorum. To rise to be a colonel speaks volumes as to the level of control he is able to maintain.
3. Though Wilson represents a district in South Carolina that has never elected a Democrat since 1965, in the last election Wilson was nearly defeated by Rob Miller who is running against Wilson again in 2010.
4. Increasingly Wilson is working at stirring and shoring up his Republican base while also attracting the independents who are angry about the level of illegal immigration as well as those who are concerned about deficit spending.
5. The outburst has been well received within his district.
While I do not know Wilson, and will not judge his heart, I the explanation of his defenders about losing his calm on a matter close to his heart does not match Wilson’s background and context. Notwithstanding the quick call to apologize to the President, I would not be at all shocked to learn in the weeks or distant years that the cry was the honed lawyerly courtroom skill at work and that the outburst will be leveraged by his campaign during the next election.
Reflective Wanderings - Reflections on various topics that arise out of my personal, life and professional experiences. There are also are some family related news, travels and pictures.
2 comments:
I have little doubt that Wilson's heckling was intentional. The Republicans have been disgustingly partisan and viciously nasty ever since President Obama took Office. They appear to have absolutely no respect for the man.
Wilson's apology came after the president's chief of staff, Rahm Emmanuel, spoke to two top Republican leaders and advised them that such a call would be appropriate. I doubt that Wilson would have made the call on his own.
maybe he forgot to take his little white pill that morning.
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