BIKER CANDIDATE DERAILS GOP DEBATE
Chainsaw sculptor and motorcycle enthusiast Chris Cox joined three other candidates on the stage of the South Carolina First Congressional District Republican Primary Debate Tuesday night in downtown Charleston. Cox is a artist turned activist turned would-be-congressman, competing against current State Representative Nancy Mace and two others for the Republican nomination against Democratic incumbent Joe Cunningham. Cox was first to give an opening statement, and used the time to explain his involvement in the founding of a Pro-Trump Biker activist organization called Bikers for Trump. It wasn't his boasting about the 400,000 Facebook followers the organization which that caused the audience to begin rolling their eyes less than five minutes in. Cox used the second half of his opening statement to make some claims that still have fact-checkers busy.
"I look forward to sharing with you the relationships I've gained throughout my short political career. I have the personal phone number of the president of the United States. He returns my calls within a twenty-three hour period" Cox claimed, seeming to reference the leader of the free-world the way a college student might reference a reliable booty-call. Cox set the tone of the debate by letting everyone in attendance know that he was the bonafide Trump Poster Boy on the stage. Possibly unfamiliar with the appointment process of Congressional Committees, Cox declared the first thing he would do if elected is "land a position on the Infrastructure and Highways committee". Nevertheless, it wasn't the bold claims that would draw loud "Boos" from the crowd later.
Rather than follow the format of the debate, which consisted of the candidates taking turns replying to questions asked by members of a panel, Cox used his time to attack assumed front-runner Nancy Mace. In a painfully histrionic gesture, Cox drew a piece of paper from his coat pocket and propped it up on the front of his podium, facing the audience, as if expecting the socially distanced crowd to read the size twelve print from more than thirty feet away. Cox continued to use his time to attack the other candidates each time a question was presented to him. His refusal to stick to the format resulted in several minute-long pauses to figure out whose turn it was, and how long Nancy Mace would need for her rebuttal. The pattern became so obnoxious, it prompted one of the panelists to pose a question to Cox about his behavior
"You said earlier this evening that the people of Charleston haven't had a chance to get to know you. However, you've been asked three questions by the panel this evening, and instead of answering them you took the time to confront your opponents. Do you think this tactic is one that will work well in the general election against Joe Cunningham?"
At one point Cox seemed to conflict with his own opening statement, during which he expressed his eagerness to share the relationships he'd made. However, while trying to appear as an outsider candidate later on he said,
"I'm not going to Washington D.C. to make friends". Maybe he doesn't need to now, since he's got the Commander-In-Chief at his beck-and-call.
Nothing Cox mentioned about Mace seemed to be either terribly surprising or particularly unexpected for twenty-first century American politics. Mace dismissed most of the attacks as simply false. Still, Cox continued to comment on the amount of money raised by Mace's campaign. Soon, one of the other candidates, Kathy Landing, joined Cox in a dogpile on Mace. Together, the two candidates made it very clear which candidate was considered the greatest threat, as both Landing and Cox referenced the endorsements and contributions made to the Mace campaign. Then, near the end of the debate, in response to a question posed about how the candidates would seek an endorsement from former Governor Nikki Haley, Cox made a statement which made some of the females in the audience, as well as on the panel, visibly uncomfortable. Cox described how he would explain to Haley,
"That these seats should not be prostituted to the person with the most money"
While he didn't mention any particular candidate by name, the hour and a half of debate prior left no question who Cox felt was his greatest financial challenger. To stoop to the low of referring to a sitting member of the State legislature, a member of his own Party, and a female no less, as a prostitute seemed a bridge too far for many in attendance. As the audience and panelists congregated afterword's and discussed the debate, conversation primarily focused on Cox and what was seen as his repugnant behavior. The salacious insinuation also seemed to bring him into direct conflict with another statement he made in the debate. When the candidates were asked who they've turned to for support during the coronavirus outbreak, Cox was the only candidate to engage in a self-aggrandizing diatribe about his piety.
"I turn to God. On a daily basis I'll bend a knee and bow a head. I pray that he will fine tune my instinct. I pray that my word and my actions will shine through me and people will be able to see that I'm a Christian"
Except Christ befriended prostitutes, he didn't try to publicly shame them on a political stage with half-wit one liners. Before long, Cox was being lambasted by the press and on Social media. The Post and Courier mentioned the collective "Boo" Cox received from the crowd, and attendees of the debate voiced their disapproval on Facebook.
"Joe Cunningham is very pleased with last night's debate. Chris Cox attacks were music to his ears" one wrote, pointing out how Cox's repeated attacks only benefited the Democrat incumbent. Indeed, Cunningham was using clips from the debate for his own advertisement only hours later.
"Chris Cox behavior...may have just done us in on this one" wrote another.
Soon, there were calls on social media for Cox to drop out of the race. Given the importance of conservatives reclaiming the South Carolina congressional seat, it is critically important that the GOP candidate put forward be a true representation of the low country and its values. Hostility for sake of one-upmanship, rudeness for sake of theater, and salacious remarks about women aren't low country values. For these reasons, a growing number of low country voters believe Chris Cox should withdraw from the race. Cox should, at the very least, apologize to his opponents before considering dropping out.
WATCH THE FULL DEBATE HERE
