It’s been days since Scott Poor, attorney for Independent candidate Greg Orman found himself the heart of a controversy about what is acceptable communication. After attacking a state senator repeatedly through Facebook posts and demeaning her career experience, and making Trump-like commentary, the Wichita based attorney, and representative for the Orman campaign learned his fate regarding his standing in the Orman campaign — and that fate would be.. nothing. No consequences, period.
Poor’s comments, which appeared in the Kansas City Star and elsewhere, where not new to the campaign — but the response by Independent Greg Orman certainly raises new questions.
While the campaign against Democratic candidates is certainly a pitch for the Orman campaign, specific targeting of Senator Laura Kelly, and her status, has often mirrored Trump-level tactics.
In commentary posted in social media feeds, Kelly was often maligned by members of the Orman campaign as “weak” “frail” and jokes were made about her ability to not fall off stage — sound familiar?
It should because that exact same tactic was used by Donald Trump in 2016:
From CNN:
Straying from the prepared remarks on his teleprompter, the Republican nominee reignited his attacks on Hillary Clinton's physical and mental health, arguing that the former secretary of state "could be crazy" and lacks the "stamina" to be president -- even imitating Clinton stumbling into her car while leaving a 9/11 ceremony last month.
...
Trump then began to stagger on stage, imitating the medical incident Clinton faced when leaving the 9/11 ceremony.
When confronted for a response by the Capital Journal, Orman said he disagreed with his attorney’s comments but, as to consequences?
From the Capital-Journal
Orman spokesman Sam Edelen issued a statement that said Poor wasn’t a member of the campaign staff and didn’t speak for Orman.
“Greg Orman does not agree with Scott Poor’s comments, either in tone or substance,” Edelen said. “He’s an attorney who incorporated the Orman for Kansas committee and provides continuing legal advice, the same services he’s providing other candidates this cycle, including a Democratic candidate for secretary of state.”
The consequence? He gets to keep providing continuing legal advice. Sure, Greg disagrees, but, while there is disagreement, the truth about misogyny within the Orman campaign? There will be no consequences. Greg Orman instead pointed to Democratic candidates. Reaching out to those campaigns made clear the difference between Democratic campaigns and the wayward independent. In a statement by the Brian McClendon campaign I was informed:
The campaign will not engage the professional or administrative services of Mr. Poor moving forward.
After contacting several Democratic campaigns, the response was similar. Orman, who has talked repeatedly about accountability apparently fails to notice that Democratic campaigns are holding his associate accountable, while the Orman campaign notes he will provide “continuing legal advice”.
Instead the wayward independent decided that now would be the time to attack the Democratic party directly — by pointing out Executive Director of the State Party had urged him not to run. Ethan Corson, Executive Director, noted in a private email to Greg Orman — a private email which the Orman campaign apparently had no issues disclosing, so not big fans of privacy I suppose — that Corson had argued for Orman to run as a Democratic candidate.
While I disagree with Corson’s assessment that Orman could have an opportunity to win our primary, I do believe that you generally say such things to any candidate ‘sure you can win!’. As an officer within the Kansas Democratic Party, I also recognize that Orman’s prior funding efforts to the Democratic party — which were, admittedly, significant in 2016 — and his commitment to a pro-choice, pro-LGBT rights viewpoint would make it logical to reach out to him if he were considering to encourage him to come home as a Democratic candidate.
Orman, however, seems intent to triangulate away from those standards, as his Lt. Governor candidate voted in opposition to LGBT adoption rights within the Senate, and is a known anti-choice vote. Accountability may exist in Orman’s dream proposed Government, but so far, in his own campaign, it is non-existent.
Kansans who signed a petition to put Greg Orman on the ballot are being provided a way to rescind their signature, a simple process. They are able to sign a form and deliver it by mail to the KS SOS or to the elections office within their own county to have their signature on his petition nullified.