U.S. Senate candidate Cal Cunningham admits to sexual texting with California strategist

[brooklynite]

Source: News & Observer

North Carolina Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Cal Cunningham, a married father of two, sent text messages of a sexual nature to a woman who is not his wife, his campaign confirmed Friday night.

The text messages between Cunningham and Arlene Guzman Todd, a public relations strategist from California, were first reported Thursday night by NationalFile.com.

...snip...

Cunningham, who has been leading in polling in his pivotal U.S. Senate race against Republican incumbent Thom Tillis, said Friday night that he is not dropping out of the race.

"I have hurt my family, disappointed my friends, and am deeply sorry. The first step in repairing those relationships is taking complete responsibility, which I do. I ask that my family's privacy be respected in this personal matter," Cunningham said in a statement sent to The News & Observer.

Read more here: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article246191610.html#storylinkcpy

Read more: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article246191610.html

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Sigh, this would have been a lock for the Dems. May still be because of votes already banked.

[beachbumbob]

1. in the scale of what is important? Who gives a shit?

[brooklynite]

3. You're naive if you think SOME voters don't care...

...remember, you trying to win over people who voted for Tillis last time.

[beachbumbob]

4. Im not naive at all and this will impact some votesfor sure

[oldsoftie]

17. And yet the hypocrites will still vote for trump, who did far worse. nt

[moose65]

55. Not necessarily

Tillis was elected in 2014, an off-year election. Turnout this time will be a lot higher, so Cunningham doesn’t have to “convert” a lot of Tillis voters. He needs to make sure his OWN voters go to the polls.

[mdbl]

65. It should at least bring over some Trump voters

they seem to like that kinda shi%

[PatSeg]

20. It seems to matter

only when Democrats do it.

[BComplex]

50. That's because democrats vote for decent people, and decency counts to democrats.

That's why we have a party we can all count on and have respect for.

I just want to know WTF is wrong with North Carolina men! John Edwards was fooling around back when I had donated my last dime to his campaign. Now Cunningham.

I still hope we elect him.

[PatSeg]

51. That is true

but it is priceless that republicans and the media will make a big deal about it, given all the scandals that emerge from the right.

[catsudon]

26. i agree with you

we are not voting for a faithful husband, we're voting for a senator, in fact looking at a picture of her, i said he traded up.

/s

[BComplex]

52. That's shallow as hell.

Looks is all that matters in a person?

[Politicub]

44. My sentiments exactly

Who cares?

[lark]

2. Stupid men with "little brain" issues ruin the world.

Pisses me off that it only counts when it's Dems involved.

[WhiteTara]

5. Katie Hill didn't help us either.

The power gets to the brain and people forget they are in the real world even though they are in a bubble of their own.

[lark]

6. Sadly true.

[PatSeg]

23. Plus the stupidity

of doing stuff on your computers or smartphones that you'd expect from a naïve teenager. Then being surprised and remorseful when you get caught. I really don't care a whole lot about people's sex lives, but their judgment is important.

[WhiteTara]

54. It's mind-boggling.

Of course, it's been a man's purview for centuries and so a woman gets more scrutiny, and she knows it. So, it was very poor judgment; but she should not have stepped down, nor should Cal.

[PatSeg]

63. I agree

And if you are going to do something highly personal that is really none of our business, be discreet and no damn texts or photos.

[Boomer]

27. It's not about sex

If it were just about sex, there wouldn't be anywhere near this many scandals.

Men under emotional pressure -- such as a high-profile political race -- act out in many ways, but an affair is one of the classics. Sexual conquest provides an ego boost, which they desperately need. I wish they'd just take up yoga instead. So much healthier for all involved.

[texasfiddler]

7. Several posts about this yesterday

Good thing. Every time a DUer discovers this, another GOP Senator gets COVID and knocks the thread out. I think he could still win because of the news cycle. I have already sent Cal a brutal email reply about his stupidity (not that he reads it). At least the texts were inappropriate flirting and not focused on anything sexually specific. He has admitted it & hopefully work it out with his wife. If there is more he is toast and we all suffer. We don’t need another John Edwards for fucks sake.

[Tommymac]

8. WTF was he thinking? If we lose the Senate by 1 seat...

I just don't understand the mindset of these men (and less often women)who run for office but let their little head ruin everything.

He ain't The Killer Clown so this will stick.

Fuck we work so hard for this dimwit and he does this crap. Godddam it.

[bullimiami]

12. Exactly. WTactualF CAL???

Ill still vote for him but Im sorely disappointed.

He should have cleared all his baggage before running.

The behavior itself is nothing to me. Thats between him and his family.
But you cant leave shit in your closet and run for office.

[Yeehah]

9. Dumbass

Probably set up.

[Miguelito Loveless]

15. Or

one of the aggrieved spouses found the texts, and extracted their vengeance.

[oldsoftie]

18. Thats much more likely IMO

[Botany]

10. Fucking idiot

It is called a private life but ...

[OldManTarHeel]

11. This is a major moron move by Cunningham

A Lt. Col. in the Army should know not to ever do something as dumbass as this.

NC folks care about stuff like this, he may not lose a ton of votes, but, in a tight race that it is, he may lose enough that determines an outcome that at one time looked pretty good for the Dems.

[DeminPennswoods]

60. Unfortunately, this kind of flirting is not that

uncommon in the military. Probably where he learned it.

[OldManTarHeel]

62. Maybe so, but, he's got to know that cyber memory lives on forever.

Christ . . he's running for the US Senators FFS. You do dumb sh!t like this, no matter where you learn it and it will come back to haunt you . . and it has.

Dumbass move.

[DeminPennswoods]

66. Agree

Stupid

[vlyons]

13. Why am I not surprised? *snark*

GOP is the party of hypocritical degenerate grifters, racists, and mysogynists.

[Miguelito Loveless]

14. Do these people not understand

How the modern world works?

Your life is now self-documenting.

[oldsoftie]

19. My political fate was sealed long ago.....

[KWR65]

16. OMG! People are flirting on cell phones!!

As long as the person is an adult who cares?

[Tommymac]

21. Unfortunately a lot of peeps care.

Everything you do online or on a smart phone is PUBLIC!!!! Especially for those in the spotlight. He is ex military - he should know this.

Conservative voters will care - his behavior puts him in the same category as the Killer Clown who we are holding accountable for shit behavior like this.

At best he will be looked on as a hypocrite by the self righteous religious nuts.

And his opponent is going to take full advantage of this - no doubts.

Goddamn. Goddamn. Goddamn. I gave money & have worked my ass off online for Dems this cycle to try and win back the Senate. Goddamn Goddamn Goddamn.

[catsudon]

28. does his wife and kids care?

is he married?

[KWR65]

31. A marriage is a private matter. Many spouses don't care if the other spouse flirts or even has sex..

with others. It is no ones else business. I don't care what political party they belong to.

[groundloop]

22. Dumb ass thing to do..... but he hasn't had multiple affairs and paid to cover them up.

[beachbumbob]

24. the question is how this was set up to entrap him and who financed it

[lonely bird]

29. Um, entrap?

If the guy is stupid enough to do this it ain’t entrapment. It is shitty judgement. I know entrapment is a real “thing” but I expect better of people running for national levels offices.

[beachbumbob]

30. how do explain the text messages were made available?

[lonely bird]

32. That they were made available ain't the point

How often do we tell kids not to do shit like this? The problem is that the guy did it. Once it is out there, it is out there. The guy wants to flirt with someone not his wife then go somewhere and use a burner phone. It is shitty judgement, period.

[beachbumbob]

35. of course it is a point

[lonely bird]

43. Sigh. Yes, it is a point...

It simply isn’t THE point. There are a couple of background things going on here. We have had national level public figures who did a good job yet couldn’t keep their johnson’s in their pants. We have had politicians that did a good job and were faithful to their spouse. We have had the opposite as well in both cases. Should politicians’ private lives be just that, private? There is an argument for that to be the case. Unfortunately, we live in an era where at least three things are in play: an obsession with sexual scandal, moralizing self-righteous grandstanding/sexual repression and a communication/information system that moves in real time. When you add in the concept of greed in terms of a tool to expose sexual peccadilloes you end up with what we have here.

The bottom line is Cunningham fucked up big time. I would be unsurprised if someone paid the lady. That being said if you don’t step on your metaphorical dick you can’t get entrapped. This is on Cunningham for being stupid.

[beachbumbob]

46. pretend this was an operation sponsered by russian intelligence, that would not "the point"? or

was able to be connect to the Whitehouse and Stephen miller, would that NOT be a point??

[lonely bird]

48. Sure. But...

A) We don’t have that scenario.

B) If the stupid shit hadn’t been done in the first place then neither your scenario nor this situation would have happened.

This is on Cunningham for being an idiot. That Trump is an idiot we know. That his balls are likely in Putin’s hands we know. The same thing applies: if Trump hadn’t been stupid (impossible, but humor me) he wouldn’t be in that position.

Unfortunately, geography also applies. If Cunningham had been in a state where such things were less important then it wouldn’t matter as much. Cunningham knew what his potential audience was and acted stupidly anyway.

[Zeus69]

25. I think NC Senate now remains GOP.

Moron.

[DallasNE]

33. This Is Mind Numbingly Stupid

And shows a highly flawed character to think that he could get away with this. Seems that becoming a US Senator was not his top priority.

[3Hotdogs]

34. Well, that clinches the evangelical vote.

[mtngirl47]

36. Damn. NC middle of the road folks won't vote for him now.

It's OK for Tillis to take away Social Security and Medicare/Medicade....but Cunningham can't flirt/text.

It's OK for Tillis to spout Qanon conspiracies....but Cunninham can't flirt/text.

Damn.

[lonely bird]

45. Which underscores this country's unhealthy attitudes about sex

This thing is nowhere near as important as what you mentioned but never forget Lonely Bird’s theorem:

“‘We The People’ are stupid.”

It is easier to wallow in emotional sludge including religious self-righteousness than it is to think critically.

[vercetti2021]

37. I don't see how this can change anything

I see people already writing this off. Seriously are people that fucking fickle because a guy was flirting? Why do we have to have some bullshit moral high ground when Rethugs cheat and fuck everyone in the ass constantly. But oh this guy does it and people are gonna flip to the Con? If you are that fucking fickle, you shouldn't even vote.

[musclecar6]

38. What

A dumb fuck. Well he’s not the first politician who’s been caught and he won’t be the last. Trump can get away with shit like this ( Grab em in the pussy Don), porn stars etc, so who knows maybe Cunningham will skate.

[apnu]

41. Cunningham is a D. Rules are different for Rs.

Republicans can cheat, have diaper fetishes, and bang anyone they like, the the Republican mob will say they are godly men.

Democrats can’t do any of that. We are held by all the normal standards that our culture advertises.

[AnnaLee]

39. Why?

People like this know they ultimately won't be considered as good candidates if their past is uncovered. Why do they pursue a career that means they must fear the truth?

[apnu]

40. That is a narrow race and Cunningham was starting to pull away.

This will kill that momentum, and can cost him this race. How incredibly stupid Cunningham was.

I mean that professionally. Voters now have to decide if this negative is less than all the negatives of the other guy.

Personally this is repugnant. Cheating on your partner? Gross.

[LiberalFighter]

42. What is wrong with people?

There needs to be a better way.

[Politicub]

47. His opponent has COVID.

So the good people of NC have a choice to make: vote for a COVID denier or a man who sexts.

On the scale of importance, I think being a mask denier is more of a risk than an affair.

[BComplex]

49. Oh holy fuck.

This is all we need.

[onetexan]

53. oy vey, another guy who can't keep his pecker in his pants. BUT..i hope he kicks Tillis' butt in the

polls. Damn GOPs are destroying the country. Let him repent for his infidelity sins against his family, but let him work to represent the good people of NC.

[redstateblues]

68. Apparently he did keep his pecker in his pants

It was sexting. Still not great but I think he still wins

[onetexan]

71. hmm usually if there's sexting it's preceded by the dirty deed. How would u know he kept his pecker

in his pants? I'm saying i hope he wins but that doesn't excuse the fact the behaved badly - with an aid no less.

[still_one]

56. I have a message of a sexual nature to trump

FU!!!!!!!

[NCjack]

57. DEMs need to learn the lesson. If you have this kind of stuff in your

secret history, chances are very good that it will be revealed during your campaign.

Do us a big favor. Don't present yourself to be a candidate. The year is not 1960 -- it's 2020, and when reporters get your story, they will publish it.

[Aviation91]

58. As long as she was a grown woman

and a consenting adult, I don’t care!! As many Republicans as there have been that cheated on their wives, they should have nothing to say!!!

[L.Pharmstrong]

67. It's not about the affair unfortunately

It’s about really bad judgment. When you are a candidate or in elected office, you have to know that there will be people gunning for you. You do not give them ammunition. What consenting adults do in the privacy of their bedrooms may be no one else’s business, but it is particularly stupid to engage in these shenanigans when you’ve running for office, and this will turn off some voters who will vote Republican now or stay home.

[Aviation91]

69. They weren't having an affair, they were sexting!

[LisaL]

70. Do you like bridges?

NT

[L.Pharmstrong]

72. Did you read the texts? Here they are.

There was nothing explicitly sexual about the texts. They were intimate and certainly indicated that there was an affair.

Link to tweet

/photo/1?ref_url=https%3a%2f%2fnews.yahoo.com%2fnorth-carolina-senate-candidate-cal-204109843.html

[Orangepeel]

59. I hope this isn't the tip of the iceberg

Right now. it's only stupid.

[Progressive Jones]

61. WTF ??? Dumb asses. Both of them. nt

[Codeine]

64. He's ahead in the polls, the POTUS is hospitalized,

his opponent has the virus, there’s a looming SCOTUS fight, Trump taxes, half the Republican leadership infecting the other half, and who knows what other shit 2020 has in store for us — this won’t matter in the scheme of things. He’s going to win.

[Polybius]

76. Has there been any polls released after this story broke out?

I'm interested to see some.

[Initech]

73. Dumbass.

[Polybius]

74. I somehow missed this Saturday

Oddly enough, it was all over the news today.

[Tarc]

75. Sigh...the age-old question...