Community | October 23, 2010 | 20 comments

CT- People asked to remove WWE pins

source: http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/10/22/connecticut.elections.wwe/index.html?hpt=T2

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Dmerza1989
(CNN) -- Republicans lashed out Friday after the Connecticut secretary of state said poll workers would have the right to ask voters wearing World Wrestling Entertainment merchandise to cover up because it could be considered campaigning.

Republican Senate candidate Linda McMahon left her job as chief executive of WWE to run for office. And a spokesman for Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz said McMahon is so closely associated with the organization that wrestling garb could easily be construed as political advertising.

"It's not that much of an inconvenience in the few minutes that you're voting that you don't serve as an advertisement for somebody'spolitical campaign," said Av Harris, a spokesman for Bysiewicz.

Campaigning within 75 feet of polling places places is illegal under Connecticut law.

State Republicans reacted angrily to the news, releasing a statement entitled: "Bysiewicz Loses Mind; Clothing Ban Has No Merit."

"There is nothing to suggest that any other clothing, where it's promoting NASCAR, a brewery or a college, should inhibit or inconvenience someone from casting their vote. And Bysiewicz knows at outright ban would be challenged quickly in the courts and overturned," the statement said.

"On what grounds does Bysiewicz base this ridiculous act of voter intimidation?" asked Republican State Party Chairman Chris Healy.

The WWE also weighed in.

"Denying our fans the right to vote, denying them their First Amendment rights, regardless if they are Democrat, Republican or Independent, is un-American, unconstitutional and blatantly discriminatory," said Vince McMahon, chairman and chief executive of WWE. He is Linda McMahon's husband.

Linda McMahon is competing against longtime Democratic state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal for the right to returning Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd's seat. Dodd, who was first elected to the Senate in 1980, announced earlier this year he would not seek another term in office.

Blumenthal maintains a double-digit lead over McMahon, according to a poll released by Quinnipiac University earlier this month.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/10/22/connecticut.elections.wwe/index.html?hpt=...

What do current users think about this? Is wearing at WWE pin the same as a vote for Linda McMahon pin? Is it truly campaigning?
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20 comments // CT- People asked to remove WWE pins

  • valley2390
    • 0
      valley2390  

    • Honestly I don't think that if I was voting in this state and saw someone wearing a "WWE" button I would suddenly say - "Oh, hey! I should totally vote for McMahon instead because she was Chief Executive of WWE!"

      I'm pretty sure anyone that's already at the polls knows who they have gone to the poll to vote for and doesn't need a random button worn by another person to sway their vote.

    • 1 year ago
  • shanklinmike
  • cbsrf
  • zHellas
  • freecrack
  • timetide
    • 0
      timetide  

    • why is this contraversal? does anybody remember that when Arnold was running for governer people couldn't wear t-shirts promoting his movies or him. Also, tv stations couldn't play his movies untill after the polls closed. Its a well established point of law, so why did this women think that she would get special treatment?

    • 1 year ago
  • good_stuff
    • +1
      good_stuff  

    • All this is so silly. The intent of the law is to prevent people from lining up and barading people as they walk into the voting place by saying, "hey, vote this guy he is way better". Poeople can see 50+ signs on their way to a voting location that tell them which candidate to vote for, but if I notice that some radom person is wearing a WWE pin at the last minute that is going to make me change my mind. How stupid do they think we are?

    • 1 year ago
  • freecrack
    • 0
      freecrack  

    • i love it.wrestling and politics follow the same pathology, yet we act as if wrestling is trailer trash entertainment, and our politics are substative.even as linda mcmahon exposes it, we are still pretending our politics arent as trashy.we are so happy to lie to ourselves.

    • 1 year ago
  • jpvt
    • 0
      jpvt  

    • Seeing as she technically no longer works for WWE, it's kind of absurd to consider WWE merchandise as campaign related. That would be like saying people who wore Texas Ranger jerseys or caps to the polls in 2000 and 2004 were campaigning for George Bush.

      Regardless, WWE fans (I being one myself) are thought to be as intelligent as the average Jerry Springer guest by the general (non-wrestling fan) population (which, by the way, is total stereotype, most of us know it's scripted). Maybe she'd be better off if people didn't remind the non-wrestling fan voters that she was ever associated with wrestling in the first place.

    • 1 year ago
  • Dmerza1989
    • 0
      Dmerza1989  
    • jpvt:

      Yea i live in CT, and i have asked a decent amount of people who said they did not like her why and most of them have said it comes down to her past job, they dont want our state associated with such a barbaric form of entertainment.
      Also she has filled up ALOT of air time in the state and is running against a man who many people are personally familiar with his politics. So needless to say i cant wait to see how this pans out.

    • 1 year ago
  • freecrack
    • 0
      freecrack  
    • jpvt:

      as a wresling fan, you are also aware that linda mcmahons primary social association for the last 30 yrs has been in synch with wrestling.from her wooden speech's in the ring, to the overdrugged wheelchair bound coe.she is known as of late for being a candidate, but it doesnt erase the last 30 years of association.
      i mean how much wwe,or wcw, or awa made its way into jesse venturas run?he worked hos as off to remove himself from it and create a new persona.linda is stumping on her wwe success.

    • 1 year ago
  • freecrack
    • 0
      freecrack  
    • Dmerza1989:

      http://wrestling.it

      hey at least if she wins, maybe the bullshit riddled world of politics can become as entertaining as the bullshit world of wrestling.its not as if politics are going to become more civil anyway.at least we might be able to enjoy it more.
      unless she gets on the stick, cuz god is she bad.

      deputy savage dropping an elbow on cap and trade.

    • 1 year ago
  • Dmerza1989
    • 0
      Dmerza1989  
    • freecrack:

      Very true, she has the gun owners votes from what i have seen. There is also a radio commercial that talks about the issue of her husband giving out steroids within WWE. Personality i don't give a fuck, wrestling is more entertainment and acting than actual sport so what they choose do to isn't my area to judge.

    • 1 year ago
  • keepthinkingboo
  • Stoneyroad
  • daveinLA
  • NickerBocker09
  • toyotabedzrock
  • Dmerza1989
  • freecrack
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