How Low Can You Go?

 

Last week, the race for governor of Ohio gained national notoriety when Republican Vivek Ramaswamy dropped an attack ad against his opponent Democrat Amy Acton.

The ad features Donna Arthur, Amy's mother, addressing the camera, calling Amy Acton a liar and urging voters in Ohio to vote for Ramaswamy.  

It seems Ramaswamy was positively giddy over getting his opponent's own mother to speak out against Acton, calling her a liar.

Did anyone question "Why?"  

What would prompt a mother to disparage her own daughter?

Apparently Vivek Ramaswamy does not give a fuck as to "why", only that he had a big "gotcha" against Amy Acton.

Well, I think it's a valid question. "Why?"

Some back story:

In 1978, Cledith Arthur was accused of raping Amy Acton.

Cledith Arthur was her stepfather.

Amy Acton was 12.

The police investigated and found the accusation credible.

He had been accused of raping his daughter from his previous marriage.

There is a paper trail about these horrible mess: police reports, court filings, news stories from the time.

When given a choice of standing by her daughter or her 2nd husband, Donna Arthur chose Cledith over Amy.

Cledith and Donna booked it out of state to avoid facing criminal charges for raping Donna's daughter.  

Donna stayed with Cledith until he died in 2004.  

The last time Amy Acton ever saw her mother was in a courtroom in 1978 where Donna Arthur refused to even acknowledge her daughter's presence.

The next time Amy Acton ever saw her mother was in 2026 on a television screen, calling her a liar.

The act of weaponizing Amy Acton's childhood trauma for a political ad is despicable and reprehensible beyond all measure and has been almost universally condemned.

Notice the use of the word "almost".

Who the hell would think this as was a good idea? 

Vivek Ramaswamy has doubled down on the ad, putting up $4 million to keep in in heavy rotation on Ohio TV stations. He claims the ad has nothing to do with her childhood trauma but to call her out as a liar.  

Well, the reason WHY (you know, the question you didn't care to ask) Donna Arthur is claiming her daughter is a liar is that Donna sided with Cledith over Amy, dismissing Amy's accusation Cledith raped her daughter. So, Vivek, you vile piece of shit, it has everything to do with Amy's childhood trauma. 

Well, at least JD Vance had the decency to be disgusted by...

Hold on! JD Vance said he was disgusted by Republicans whining about the ad being inappropriate. According to Vance, the mission is to destroy Democrats, no matter the cost. 

And of course Donald Trump approached this topic with dignity and discretion and...

I'm not gonna fool anyone,am I? Let's go with the quote.  

“I suggested, on the other hand, that Vivek should keep it up, and let everyone listen to the mother of a defective, dishonest, and incapable Candidate, explain how the daughter is a DISASTER who, uncontrollably, lies, cheats, and steals! I only wish the mothers of my opponents would be so brave as to come forward and explain that their son or daughter is a liar, and much worse.”

Everyone in the holy blog congregation, let us recite our most solemn and sacred testament.

Donald Trump is a  lying, petulant, bullying, unintelligent, sociopathic, dishonorable, treasonous, gutless, moronic, heartless, soulless, slimy, loathsome, vile, incompetent, psychotic, crooked, disgusting, reprehensible, revolting, horrible, malicious, obnoxious, hateful, narcissistic, small-minded, despicable god damn, motherfucking piece of shit!

Is there any wrong side of history this asshole will put himself on the side of?  

Last week, he's siding with Russia over Ukraine.

This week, he's siding with a woman who protected a pedophile at the expense of her own daughter. 

Trump described Donna Arthur as a smart woman, appearing lucid. 

I'm gonna do something I shouldn't do: make a judgement based on appearance.

I've seen the clip of Donna Arthur calling Amy Acton a liar.

I will say that anyone who has grown up poor in a small rural town knows this woman.

I've known this woman.

There is nothing (NOTHING) in this clip that says "smart" or "lucid".  Donna Arthur is a bitter old woman who may have had a hard life but will never take any responsibility for any of it.  The hardships of her life were always someone else's fault.  

I will admit my judgement is superficial but I will hold fast that I believe it to be true: Donna Arthur is NOT a credible witness against her daughter.

And as for Vivek Ramaswamy, JD Vance and Donald Trump who see the question of "How low can you go?" as some kind of political limbo challenge, you disgust me.

And you disgust a lot of other people who still cling to the fragile concept that maybe decency should count for something, damn it! 

To despicable scum like Ramaswamy, Vance and Trump, it boils down to a lack of basic human decency.

How low can you go indeed.