Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Man(ic)weller.

Yesterday, I posted the above video on Facebook. This video shows CWU Political Science Professor Matt Manweller berating someone on the street who clearly disagrees with the Republican Party and Dr. Manweller's position for that election. Dr. Manweller was campaigning for Dino Rossi, a gentleman whose politics I disagree with quite a bit (but that's another story). Dr. Manweller is now running for for State Representative in the 13th District (Ellensburg and surrounding area). I don't want to get into a discussion of Dr. Manweller's politics here...At least not yet. On my Facebook page a comment was made that the above rant cannot be indicative of Dr. Manweller's potential behavior in Olympia. I disagree. He is running for a position in which compromise is needed; healthy discourse is not only possible, but standard. Having worked in Olympia as a Senate Intern I can tell you that the behavior Dr. Manweller presented in the video is not the type of behavior that would be allowed/tolerated. What will happen if he is fighting for a bill he strongly believes in, but the opposition counters with an argument? Will he start name-calling? Will he be unwilling to listen adn form a coherent argument more than "what school do/did you go to?" and calling someone stupid? There is no place for that in Olympia.

Am I being too harsh on Manweller from a short clip? Perhaps. IF it was the only time he was documented as losing his cool. Everyone does from time to time, and I understand that this video could have been taken on a particularly stressful day. What's not clear is why someone who is so politically minded wouldn't just walk away. Here's an even better point...This isn't the only example of Professor Manweller losing his cool. This article: http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/9/22/radio-comments-lead-to-fisticuffs  .   The Prof. had been charged with disorderly conduct after getting into a fist fight with another guy after a radio show. Manweller says his actions were in self-defense. I wasn't there, I cannot say for certain one way or the other, but needing two others to break you up seems a tad more than a couple defensive blows.

The guy he got into a fist fight with was a bit more antagonistic than the gentleman in the video, but Manweller has shown a pattern of excessive anger and the inability to have discourse calmly and coherently. Would I vote for anyone who is on record as getting into shouting matches with the opposition where they call the other stupid? No. I certainly wouldn't vote for someone who gets into a fist fight. It does not show leadership qualities I want in someone representing me.

Everyone loses their cool, not everyone is running for office. Everyone in office has lost their cool from time to time, I grant that. When it starts becoming a pattern is when I have an issue. Such is the case with Professor Manweller. I am no longer registered to vote in District 13, but as a CWU Alum from the Political Science Department and a former Senate Intern (for a Republican Senator) I believe that Professor Manweller would not serve his constituency well.

A last point...Professor Manweller even has some of the extremely right individuals thinking he's a democratic plant because he just doesn't make sense to them:
http://www.redstate.com/martin_a_knight/2009/09/14/matthew-manweller-democratic-plant/ .