Independent candidate

Properly Crazy

Joe Morrissey (right) and former receptionist Myrna Pride pose in antebellum dress to celebrate and announce the birth of a son; Mr. Morrissey, a former Virginia state representative, previously denied any sexual involvement with Ms. Pride, and even pled to reduced charges after being accused of molesting her as a minor. Uncredited photo circa May, 2015, via Joe St. George, Twitter, 14 May 2015.

This is one of those things for which I have exactly nothing:

Let’s dissect this, shall we?

To the right stands former Virginia delegate Joe Morrissey, 57, a Democrat running for a Virginia state Senate seat as an Independent after Democratic Party officials rejected his attempt to seek office. Joining Morrissey are his 19-year-old receptionist, Myrna Pride, and their 9-week-old son Chase, a child Morrissey publicly acknowledged as his son for the first time Wednesday.

The image shows Morrissey, who is white, and Pride, who is black, in what some reporters have described as “period” dress — without mention of the fact that said period would appear to be the antebellum South or that said photo was taken in Virginia Beach, a city that sits about two hours from Richmond, the onetime capital of the Confederacy.

(Ross)

Would you believe me if I told you things only go downhill from there? As Janell Ross explained for the Washington Post: (more…)

Kansas

Great Seal of Kansas (detail)

This is how it goes:

Despite dropping out of the Kansas Senate race this week, Democrat Chad Taylor will remain on the ballot, Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach announced on Thursday.

Taylor’s name could draw votes from independent Greg Orman, who is locked in a competitive race with Republican Sen. Pat Roberts. Orman has not said which party he will caucus with if he wins, and national Democrats are hoping he might deliver them an unexpected seat in November amid an uphill battle to hold the Senate.

Kobach told reporters that candidates must declare they are “incapable” of serving if elected in order to withdraw their name from the ballot.

“The law is the law,” Kobach said, according to The Kansas City Star.

Kobach’s decision could spur a legal fight, however. Taylor said in a statement that he had specifically asked and had been explicitly told by Kobach’s office that he would be allowed to remove his name if he followed the procedures they laid out.

(Sarlin)

Confused? Well, sure, why not? Still, though, for those to whom Kris Kobach’s name is already familiar, it is quite clear what is going on. Kris Kobach wants Chad Taylor on the ballot for the same reason Taylor and Kansas Democrats want him off.

(more…)