Ben Cline

Beth Macy, last week, went public with her desire to schedule three candidate debates with Ben Cline, the Sixth District MAGA incumbent, coinciding with the commencement of voting in their congressional race.

On Monday, the Cline campaign released a statement “after accepting invitations to debate his Democrat opponent” that included a schedule set for three candidate forums, including one hosted by a MAGA business group.

The one problem here: the Cline folks didn’t coordinate with the Macy folks about the schedule.

“Instead, yesterday he issued a blanket announcement of his preferred slate of candidate forums – not actual debates – which amounts to a chicken-you-know-what response. A news organization invited us both to appear at a debate it planned to host, but he failed to reply, for fear of, you know, actually having to debate me,” Macy said in a statement issued on her behalf by her campaign on Tuesday.

ICYMI

Sixth District race: Beth Macy challenges Ben Cline to three candidate debates

So, this was the dude dictating to the lady when, where and how things would be done.

Sounds about what you’d expect from the patriarchy.

The Cline side decided unilaterally on joint appearances with Rotary Clubs in Salem and Harrisonburg, which, fine – Rotary Clubs are mostly harmless – and also a forum in the Winchester/Frederick County area hosted by an entity that calls itself the Small Business Freedom Alliance, which advertises itself on its website as “a group of local business owners/citizens who stand against Federal and State overreach that adversely impacts our business operations.”

Yeah, they come across as being on the up-and-up.

The group’s Facebook page is a list of announcements of campaign events for Republican candidates, warnings about government coming for your guns and dark predictions about the redistricting referendum.

Its origin story, from its website, tells us that it sprang out of “three local business owners feeling very frustrated about the responses to the Covid 19 Virus from our local, state, and federal governments.”

Geez, I wonder why Ben Cline wants this group to host a candidate forum?

“I appreciate these opportunities to engage in meaningful dialogue with voters about the issues that matter most in their daily lives,” Cline said in a statement released on his behalf by his campaign. “Since my election in 2018, I have fought in Congress for the citizens of the Sixth District to defend their constitutional rights, advance their economic security, and keep their communities safe. I will continue to stand up for our shared conservative values and make sure the voices of the Sixth District are heard in Washington. I look forward to making that case to voters and advancing solutions that will continue American greatness for another 250 years.”

I doubt that I’m the only person here with the sense that Ben Cline isn’t being authentic when he allows himself to be quoted saying this.

Needless to say, the forums announced by Cline yesterday aren’t going to happen. Macy made that much clear today.

“I look forward to working with the Cline team on actually scheduling real debates, in good faith,” Macy said, finishing up with a jab.

“Ben, kick off your training wheels, and actually engage on the issues like the voters of the Sixth District deserve. For once, you need to earn the job you’re applying for,” Macy said.