Watch the language, Taft

I'm no fan of former Edmonton-Riverview PC candidate Wendy Andrews. But, I couldn't help feeling annoyed with Kevin Taft's comments about her today, in which he told her to "take a Valium" in response to rumors that she has been organizing for a by-election.  First, I don't think he should be telling anyone to 'take a Valium' as this expression trivializes mental health issues. Moreover the insinuation that Andrews is agitated or hysterical has a gendered connotation. For example, it's hard to imagine this comment being directed towards Ed Stelmach, Dave Taylor or any other male politician. I have met Taft and his wife Jeanette Boman and I honestly don't think that his intention was to disrespect female politicians or Andrews specifically, but I thought I had to write this post because when Tories choose poor words I'm always the first to pounce on them. I hold the Liberals, NDP and any other party to that same standard of professionalism.

I'm sure some readers will disagree with my assessment, but hey that's what the comments section is for.

(h/t Pierre Trudeau is My Homeboy)

Comments

[Kuri]

Appalling.

[Glen]

Naturally I have to disagree with you. During the entire election, Taft was accused of being unable to throw a punch, unwilling to show some guts, not able to show that little "je ne sais quoi."

Although he's probably on the way out the door (I don't see how he could justify sticking around in the end), at least he's addressing one of the things Tories would always laugh at him over. This shows he's not just an egghead, but can also be a bit of a street fighter.

In regards to gender, I don't see where you're coming from at all. That's a pretty big stretch; I'm sure if it was a politician named Andrew Wendys I'm sure he would've said the very same thing. It wasn't a reflection of her gender, but rather of her quotes that she was giving newspapers. Indeed, it's pretty arrogant to start talking about winning a non-existant by-election less than 4 months after an election where you lost the riding by just under 2300 votes.

Finally, obviously Taft wasn't implying she has a mental health issue and Taft has worked hard to improve the life of those with disabilities throughout Alberta. He was using the phrase in the same vein as "chill out" and perhaps that would've been a better phrase to use. However, like I alluded to before, when you've been constantly been accused of being detached and "professorial", you can hardly blame the man for trying now to through a few harder punches. I personally just wish he'd done so during the election.

[Jewel]

Wow.. Politicians are on a roll lately.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewan/story/2008/05/08/chisholm-mike.html#storycomments

[Jason Morris]

Yeah, I have to agree. I know Kevin, and I doubt he would minimize mental health issues intentionally.

I thought your comment was funny, though: "the insinuation that Andrews is agitated or hysterical has a gendered connotation".

The insinuation that anyone is "hysterical" has a gendered connotation. "Hysteria" used to be the diagnosis given to women with psychological problems that were not understood. The cause was a wandering uterus. Hysterical and hysterectomy have the same root.

[ty]

I don't take much exception re: the comment other than the fact that after the low voter turnout in the recent provincial election there was general agreement that it was important that more people be involved. Organizing for a by-election is probably premature. Discouraging a person from being involved politically in any form is not necessary.

[Calgary Grit]

It's an expression, and I can't imagine any sort of gender conotations to it.

I think you just need to calm down and take a...umm...never mind...

;-)

[Bastard out of Stettler]

Taft has taken so much cheap abuse from the PCs and NDP I think he's earned the right to take a few borderline cheapshots. This is a guy who went through the election being called Dr. Daft by his opponents and their slaveboys Rick Bell and Neil Waugh and he didn't complain about it for a second.

A lot of people need to take a valium here.

[Feynman & Coulter's Love Child]

Perhaps a better reason to believe that Taft shouldn't be advising people to take a Valium has less to do with "trivializing health issues" and more to do with "half the time Taft has that freaky eye look and half-depressed speech to make it sound like he himself buys Valium in bulk from the back of a white van somewhere in Calder"