Marcotte Is Out
At least that is the word from Salon. Also out is Melissa McEwan who was hired to be Edwards’ Netroots Coordinator. The article at Salon indicates that Marcotte and McEwan might be rehired, so take this with a cannister of salt.
UPDATE (James Joyner): Wow. The problem with this is that it makes Edwards look incredibly inept and weak. It would be understandable were he firing Marcotte and McEwan for things they wrote while working for him or even for things that they had written at some obscure location that was suddenly unearthed. In this case, though, these were prominently linked posts on the rather prominent blogs that served as the basis for their being hired to begin with. So either Edwards’ staff failed to perform due diligence in bringing these women on or they knew what they were doing and are unwilling to take the heat for something that would blow over in a day even though it’s nearly a year before the first primary. Either way, it’s not good.
UPDATE (James Joyner): Ezra Klein had virtually the identical reaction pre-emptively: “To back down would either prove that their hiring process was incompetent and they didn’t vet someone with an extensive public record, or that they’ll collapse beneath even moderate pressure from rightwing professionals. Neither is a good look for the new campaign.”
Update (Steve Verdon): Well now they are not fired or are un-fired I don’t know which. This source seems pretty reliable: John Edwards himself.
I’ve talked to Amanda and Melissa; they have both assured me that it was never their intention to malign anyone’s faith, and I take them at their word.
Soooo…Marcotte and McEwan were lying or merely being humorous in their post? Did they go to the Michael Richards school of comedy?
I’ll vote for incompetant. No left-wing politician would stand up for the stuff they wrote (publicly, anyway). This wasn’t exactly intellectual Broden-like commentary, but hate filled diatribe on those they disagree with.
Edwards has less to lose by canning them now than by canning them closer to the elections.
That they should never have been hired in the first place is another matter. Pandering to the extremes, when you’re trying to win a popularity contest, just isn’t smart thinking.
Yes, it takes a great deal of professionalism to repeat somebody’s words. Diabolical, even. Yes, indeedy, that’s some seriously moderate pressure those rightwing professionals are bringing.
Firing these bloggers would indicate that a right-wing Jew-baiting homophobe gets to dictate personnel decisions for John Edwards, which sends a meta-message that Edwards can get slapped and will cower.
I think this is more about shutting down the high-energy activism of liberal-left internet activists than about two bloggers. It’s high-level strategic, not tactical, certainly not good faith. When future Republican candidates will visit the right-wing and infamously anti-Catholic Bob Jones University [sic], Donohue will raise no stink, because his real clientele is right-wingers, not real Catholic families in real Catholic parishes.
I agree it’s a shame – there goes the ignorant hater vote for Edwards.
(1) Edwards is a wimp.
(2) Marcotte was not retainable, as Ogged so correctly noted.
(3) Why fire McEwan, unless all those icky girl bloggers are just alike?
I predict that if Michelle Malkin isn’t the next blogger hired by a political campaign, she will a) lead the charge against that blogger too, especially if it’s a female, and b) burst several blood vessels in a major public tantrum, especially if it’s a female blogger.