New texts shared with WRAL suggest Cunningham had sexual relationship with woman
Source: WRAL News
RALEIGH, N.C. — Texts obtained by WRAL and verified by The Associated Press suggest that North Carolina’s Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate had a sexual relationship with a woman who is not his wife.
Cal Cunningham, who’s running against Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, apologized on Friday for texting a public relations strategist in California and suggesting that he wanted to be physically intimate with her.
...snip...
Newly-obtained texts between the strategist, Arlene Guzman Todd, and her friend suggest a relationship that included more than just texts.
“I just want to [expletive] him one last time and break his heart,” one text reads.
Read more: https://www.wral.com/new-texts-shared-with-wral-suggest-cunningham-had-sexual-relationship-with-woman/19323479/
Cunningham might pull off the election, but at some point he's going to have do the public mea culpa, and his wife is going to have to publicly stand by him.
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still_one
(98,883 posts)brooklynite
(96,882 posts)...and not the revenge porn when the whole thing blew up.
“
still_one
(98,883 posts)the voters are consistent and the vote for Tillis because of this, then they should vote for Biden
but I doubt voters are consistent
brooklynite
(96,882 posts)
Mr.Bill
(24,906 posts)still_one
(98,883 posts)still_one
(98,883 posts)
OldBaldy1701E
(10,683 posts)As a born and bred Tarheel, I think you are expecting too much logic and common sense from NC voters. There is just too much delusion in my state right now. Shocking, when you remember the number of institutes of 'higher learning' that are located in NC. Or is it?
still_one
(98,883 posts)L.Pharmstrong
(152 posts)Cunningham was stupid. You can rationalize all you want, but this puts Cunningham’s candidacy in jeopardy. When you are running for office or in office and people are running for you, you do not give them ammunition. I don’t care about the affair, but to send text messages that are intimate, if not explicit, is just dumb. This was really poor judgment. Eliot Spitzer comes to mind.
still_one
(98,883 posts)logically that should apply to all for them regardless of party affiliation, however, your statement that expecting rationality isn't rational, is very accurate
L.Pharmstrong
(152 posts)People do not act logically. Trump’s infidelities and misogyny should matter and disqualify Trump. But it didn’t in 2016, and it’s low on the list of issues hindering Trump’s chances of re-election now. But Cunningham’s infidelities and really bad judgment will give some voters a reason not to vote for Cunningham. It may not be fair, but politics are not always fair.
still_one
(98,883 posts)the person
L.Pharmstrong
(152 posts)I could care less about what consenting adults do in the privacy of their bedrooms. But sending intimate and explicit texts that are indelible is just stupid. Very poor judgment.
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)The playbook was thrown out the window four years ago, and no one really cares anymore about bumper stickers and scandal when an effective and stable governance is at stake.
(ps: 'consensual' doesn't refer to someone not directly involved in the hanky-panky, so your response in regards to his wife, though a nice bumper sticker, becomes irrelevant)
brooklynite
(96,882 posts)Tell that to Katie Hill...
still_one
(98,883 posts)Last edited Wed Oct 7, 2020, 08:36 AM - Edit history (1)
if it mattered to the voters or not
ripcord
(5,553 posts)Article 134 specifically prohibits adultery and the reserve is investigating so both of them could be facing discipline.
still_one
(98,883 posts)Is Cunningham in the military reserves?
The issue is that he is an officer who had an affair with the wife of an enlisted man. That is almost never overlooked. The effect on morale would be devastating.
nitpicker
(7,153 posts)
Squinch
(58,920 posts)Honestly, how can ANY republican point to any wrongdoing by a Democrat with a straight face?
brooklynite
(96,882 posts)Squinch
(58,920 posts)anyone.
brooklynite
(96,882 posts)LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)Well... they are inexpensive and require little nuance, thought or evidence to support them, so I get it.
brooklynite
(96,882 posts)“You go to the election with the voters you have, not the voters you might want to have”. Telling people that they SHOULDN’T care about an issue in their political decision is rarely successful.
AZ8theist
(7,156 posts)When a Repuke rapes a minor, well.....eh...not so much...
catsudon
(884 posts)republican gov from south Carolina that went to Argentina? he got fired by the people and good riddance
Claire Oh Nette
(2,636 posts)Sanford said he was inaccessible because he was "hiking the Appalachian Trail."
He was in Argentina.
I vote in NC. I don't care who Cal Cunningham had an affair with. Seems it was between consenting adults. A man in a position of power had an affair. I'm shocked, shocked, shocked.
Still won't vote Tillis.
catsudon
(884 posts)no sane democrats would vote the tillis,
the worst thing that could happen is if more allegation comes out, some democrat women would sit this one out.
mahatmakanejeeves
(68,839 posts)The Blues Brothers - Stand by your man (Tammy Wynette cover) - 1080p Full HD
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kcr
(15,522 posts)It hasn't hurt his polling one bit.
DavidDvorkin
(20,532 posts)This is considerably more than that.
Laelth
(32,017 posts)
-Laelth
stillcool
(34,407 posts)The texts referred to in this article are between she and her friend. Nice, isn't it? Just love gossip, about people texting.
catsudon
(884 posts)he's entitled to have sexual relationship with as many hot women as he want. we are electing a politician, not marry him.
shame about his wife and kids however.
/ sarcasm
by the way, be thankful there isn't another mistress
Skittles
(170,278 posts)catsudon
(884 posts)he is an example of a very bad role model.
Skittles
(170,278 posts)yes that does seem to be an attitude among, er, certain politicians 
catsudon
(884 posts)the way this country is going is making me really cynical. and of course sad.
BlueStater
(7,596 posts)Look, I don’t care about this. I know we don’t care about this. I know it’s extremely hypocritical for any Republican to care about this given the thrice-married rapist they support.
Absolutely none of that matters if this costs us the race. Such a dumbass.
No Vested Interest
(5,287 posts)may care about this.
If it were me - democratic woman voter- I'd likely not vote for the Republican or the Democrat in this race.
AZ8theist
(7,156 posts)No Vested Interest
(5,287 posts)Noted.
AZ8theist
(7,156 posts)I did not mean to insult you. My issue is with the state of political affairs for the last 50 years.
"IOKIYAR" : It's OK If You're A Republican.....
When the Repukes had a sex scandal, NO ONE was ever punished to the point of not being elected or resign from office with the exception of a few. To think now, with the pussy grabber in chief in DC, with our democracy hanging by a thread, that a sex scandal would derail some voters from taking a position is absurd. This election is just too important for ANYONE to stand down...
That was my (attempt) at a point. Did not mean to demean you.
radius777
(3,921 posts)Cal is an adult man who had consensual affairs with adult women. It's an issue between his wife and family. He just needs to come clean (like Bill Clinton did in '92) and apologize. He can still win this if Dems hold strong and don't fold like the RW wants us to.
DeminPennswoods
(17,337 posts)"hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" here.
Response to brooklynite (Original post)
Post removed
keithbvadu2
(40,915 posts)Melania publicly stands by Donald.
That image should be shown every time it's brought up about Cal.
(Cal should still quit.)
I disagree. The Republicans- Newt cheating on his dying wife, Limbaugh being married 5 times, not to mention the Pussy-grabber himself - they forgive all and still elect them. Yes, what Cunningham did was stupid. If he drops out, that Senate seat is gone.
keithbvadu2
(40,915 posts)
moose65
(3,446 posts)In many polls, he’s been ahead of Tillis.
honest.abe
(9,238 posts)Hopefully there is enough time before the election for Cunningham to deal with this or perhaps voters will forget.
Lonestarblue
(13,348 posts)If you’re running for office, anything you’ve ever said or done can and will be used against you. Why is it so hard to understand that?
OldBaldy1701E
(10,683 posts)who think their actions won't have consequences. One has to be pretty delusional to think anything cannot be uncovered in this modern age. But, we are talking about politicians here. In our constant desire to find a saint in a shithole, we tend to re-define what we will tolerate when it suits our side of the argument. That way lies hypocrisy. I, for one, am tired of hypocrisy.
hay rick
(9,476 posts)Dopers_Greed
(2,647 posts)Can these people just not run?
radius777
(3,921 posts)We need 4 seats and likely have 3 (CO, AZ, ME) in the bag. We need one more to make 50 and then VP Harris will be the tie-breaker.
Cal needs to simply come clean and admit he had affairs (there is another woman that came out), apologize and move on.
He needs to stress that while he has had personal failings, Tillis/Trump/McConnell represent a clear and present danger to the country.
Behind the Aegis
(56,036 posts)I am loving the aspersions thrown at him, but no one is mentioning this was REVENGE PORN. First, they are CONSENTING adults. Second, WHO THE FUCK CARES?! unless you are married to either of them, it isn't anyone's damn business! Third, how the FUCK does this determine anything about his abilities?!
Prudes.
CTyankee
(67,922 posts)Our party isn't prudish. But our members can sometimes be foolish. We have to remember that not all voters are as tolerant as we are about private acts by consenting adults. That's just reality. We can't change that. But we can change our own proclivities, or at least contain them or come to grips with them or admit them and move on...the list goes on.
We have choices don't we?
MineralMan
(150,898 posts)That's the most I can say. What will it mean? I don't know. We'll find out, though.
Candidates in 2020 and beyond need to realize that their private lives will be exposed in detail by their competitors. It is no longer possible to bury private matters in today's connected world.
It is a shame that Cunningham's sexual escapades might cost him this election. A damned shame.
Whiskeytide
(4,647 posts)... affair. I don’t know what is going on in his marriage.
But I understand why some might care. He has been unfaithful to his wife. That is a character issue for many people, like it or not.
What pisses me off, similar to the John Edwards debacle, is that he has knowingly entered the race with this skeleton in his closet. I can’t understand that. He had to have calculated the damage it would do if it came out, and he was willing to risk the Senate seat anyway. That shows pretty poor judgement IMO.
I think most democrats will hold their noses and still vote for him given the importance of the senate seat. But many independents - especially women - may not. It is genuinely a shame as that is a seat we should win.
CTyankee
(67,922 posts)What absolutely flabbergasted me was during the Clinton/Lewinsky affair. Some people here blamed Lewinsky but I always felt that Clinton, as the most powerful man in the world, could prevent her from even being in the White House, much less alone with him in the Oval Office.