In unshocking news, Democratic candidate for Arizona’s new Congressional 9th district Krysten Sinema called ASU a “party school.”
Sinema would know because she has been an adjunct instructor at ASU for a number of years.
Republican candidate Vernon Parker was so outraged he wrote an open letter to ASU President Michael Crow, criticizing Sinema’s remarks and questioned her ability to represent her district.
Then, The State Press published a letter to the editor in that a student expressed similar feelings — if this is how Sinema feels about ASU students, can she fairly represent us in Congress?
Well, the answer is still yes. Anyone who doesn’t think ASU is a party school is deluded.
The author of the aforementioned letter-to-the-editor was later revealed in the comments to be a political consultant for Parker. Unfortunately, the writer didn’t feel ethically obligated to disclose this fact in his letter.
ASU has been notorious for being a party school ever since Playboy ran its first party-school list in a January 1987 issue that named ASU third in the nation.
Back in September, the University sparked controversy when a photo appeared on the Internet of a baby being held over a keg at a tailgating party to simulate a keg-stand. ASU Police investigated the incident for possible charges of child abuse, if not simply for being incredibly distasteful.
In his remarks to Crow, Parker claims that Sinema suggests ASU students are “stupid” — a word Sinema does not use once in the 34-second long video.
Parker is engaging in the same type of blackmailing and dishonesty that has become a trademark of this election cycle. His attack ad against Sinema labeled her an “anarchist” who participated in “pagan rituals,” is another example of such ridiculous campaign strategies.
Of course, this approach is easier than attacking Sinema on actual issues, such as her platforms on solar energy investments and greater access to public transportation.
Compared to Parker’s run-of-the-mill, conservative ideology that can be heard from any other Republican candidate, Sinema has an actual vision for Arizona.
Parker is part of a cookie-cutter class of Republican extremists who make platforms out of “sanctity of life” and the second amendment, two issues Arizona certainly doesn’t need any help in unnecessarily diverting attention to.
Or, as it says on his campaign website, his belief that “there isn’t a soul in America that believes the unemployment rate in America is 8.2 percent.”
It’s just another trademark of a paranoid, Tea Party induced campaign from your typical Arizona conservative.
I would hope students were educating themselves on these two candidates and the election at large before heading to the polls.
Unfortunately, they were probably too busy partying.
Reach the columnist at damills3@adu.edu or follow him at @Dan_iel_Mills.
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