'I've said what I'm going to say.' Cunningham won't answer questions about scandal

[brooklynite]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by applegrove (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: News & Observer

Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Cal Cunningham repeatedly declined to answer questions about his personal scandal, including whether more women would come forward with claims of extramarital affairs.

“I have taken responsibility for the hurt that I have caused in my personal life. I’ve apologized for it and I know this campaign, our campaign, is about things that are much bigger or more important than just me,” Cunningham said during a press event Friday afternoon.

Cunningham took questions for about 12 minutes at the end of a press event, which featured three supporters, including a union representative for workers in the airline industry, a small business owner from Boone and the president of the North Carolina Association of Educators.

The call was to discuss the need for more coronavirus relief, but the questions all centered on Cunningham’s personal scandal. A California woman alleges that Cunningham, a married father of two, had an extramarital affair with her this summer. Cunningham has not denied the affair and has confirmed the authenticity of sexual text messages between the woman and him.

Read more: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article246339250.html

[Inablueway]

1. Lost opportunity

Cunningham probably has lost Dems a seat by thinking with his dick.

[Demsrule86]

11. Not necessarily...Tillis is still disliked ...run on health care.

[FBaggins]

25. The problem is that he doesn't seem able to "run" at all

He appears to be hoping that he can coast through the next three weeks without showing up in public.

It could work. He had a decent sized lead considering he's the challenger (as you said... Tillis is not very popular).

[BlueStater]

2. It'll be unbelievable if Tillis ekes out a win because of this.

I cannot state enough how much of an asshole this guy is. How stupid and selfish can you possibly get?!

At least we have plenty of other races to fall back on if this goes south.

[Demsrule86]

13. We really don't...this race is very important for our efforts.

The Senate is looking better but still a tough nut to crack.

[BlueStater]

20. We need four to win.

Arizona and Colorado are practically in the bag at this point and it’s very likely we’ll win Maine as well.

Iowa, Kansas, Montana, both Georgia seats, and South Carolina are all competitive. We just need to win one of them and the Senate will in Democratic hands again.

[FBaggins]

26. We need at least two of them

Essentially zero chance of holding Alabama. And Michigan, while looking pretty good, is not entirely safe.

[lostnfound]

33. Georgia almost impossible with Kemp as Governor

I’m in North Carolina and Tillis is awful. We needed this one. So annoying and stupid.

[Roy Rolling]

3. Ugh

In the midst of a Congressional campaign. The NC Democratic Party shoulda put a bell on that alley cat.

[Chemisse]

4. Why does anybody care about affairs? Seriously.

With all the really horrible scandals, who the hell cares about this?

[customerserviceguy]

9. In the South

a large proportion of African-American voters are deeply religious. Cunningham's shenanigans are not going to be looked upon kindly by Black church ladies in NC. No, they won't vote for Tillis, but some of them just might decide not to vote in the US Senate race.

[Demsrule86]

16. Well they better vote for health care...if they want to continue to stay alive.

Who cares about this? We have way more important things to worry about this.

[customerserviceguy]

51. Down here

character counts. Cunningham should have thought about that while he was fooling around.

[marble falls]

10. If he can't keep his marriage vows, can he keep an oath of office? So Trumps affairs mean nothing?

[Demsrule86]

17. Do you want Tillis to win. Yeah these affairs mean little to nothing.

[marble falls]

36. Absolutely not. But I also do not believe in situational ethics for the most part, either ...

we are at this because he knew what he was into and knew what being brought to light meant and he failed to make some kind of plan up even up to withdrawing.

For example the Clinton's telling a national audience that Bill had strayed and Hilliary and Bill decided this was not going to destroy a marriage that has now lasted for decades longer, the first and only marriage for both. He soared in the polls immediately after and he won.

It's not just the cheating, it's been the absolutely terrible way he's handled it.

Just saying.

[Chemisse]

50. I could care less about Trump's affairs.

If only that's ALL he did wrong.

[lostnfound]

34. Every women whose husband was unfaithful is going to care.

I personally don’t relate, not a jealous person. But For many women, this is a big sore spot.

[essaynnc]

5. I agree, in the grand scheme of things...

An extramarital affair is Small Potatoes.

Compared to taking campaign money illegally, compared to knowing about the coronavirus and selling stock, compared to voting down education money, compared to trying to end Obamacare . Compared to backing Trump on every turn.

But this is North Carolina. Lots of very religious people down here, and a sex scandal overrides who virtually everything sometimes.

On the other hand, it happens all the time... LOL!

[ananda]

6. They voted Reep -- I guess it's okay to be an adulterer..

.. even a sexual predator like Trump.. if you're a Reep.

[SunnyATT]

7. He should have taken a page out of Trumpolini's book

and denied it. "I don't know this woman". "Who is she"??? "Those text messages are fake". "Never saw her in my life"!!!

[FBaggins]

28. You must not have read the texts

She seems pretty ticked off at him in some of them. There's a clear implication that she has photos that would prove that he knows her and thought about releasing them.

[Hawaii Hiker]

8. Tillis has his own scandal

DU'ers in North Carolina, are they covering this scandal like they are Cunningham's ?

http://american-ledger.com/accountability/thom-tillis-ex-wife-cites-cruel-and-inhuman-treatment-in-divorce-documents/

[FBaggins]

29. No. It isn't getting any coverage. Likely it isn't scandalous

It was reportedly over four decades ago (as opposed to during the campaign).

And it isn't really "news". We knew that there had been a divorce filing. If it isn't a friendly divorce and you can't claim abuse, child abuse, insanity, drug addiction, desertion, or adultery... you're pretty much left with "cruel or inhuman treatment".

[lostnfound]

38. No, not at all. The ads are nonstop about Cunningham affair, mixed in with Tillis money from pharma

The Cunningham texting / affair ads have been on a lot. And local cbs affiliate did a story on it.

[turbinetree]

12. Tillis let a fucking criminal off the hook last February, you know the asshole that was Impeached

by the house and Tillis kept him on, and now him and Tillis have over 214,000 deaths on there watch, 32 million people out of work, and people are worried about an affair..............what is worse a homicidal maniac in the white house walking around has we speak infecting people that just don't give a shit about any kind of safety protocols towards anybody and then being enabled by a person (Tillis) that has no principles at all............JFC........

[JohnnyRingo]

14. Did he rape her?

If not, then it should be an issue between him and his wife. Call it the Mark Sanford rule.

The only thing that will turn me against a democratic pol is stealing money from taxpayers. I get on wayward republicans for being hypocrites, not their sexually immoral behavior.

[turbinetree]

18. Yepper spot on................

The Mark Stafford Rule.............

[dalton99a]

19. +1

[catsudon]

31. the military cares

he is a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army Reserve


In October 2020, it was reported that Cunningham had exchanged sexually suggestive messages with a woman who was not his wife. Cunningham confirmed the texts were authentic and apologized for his behavior. Several days after the first text messages were released, more were published. The woman, a married public relations strategist from California, confirmed that she had engaged in a consensual physical relationship with Cunningham in 2020. The Army Reserve subsequently started an investigation into Cunningham. Adultery is prohibited by the military and soldiers can be prosecuted for it. The husband of the woman who confirmed having an affair with Cunningham, himself an Army veteran.

take away from this: just have affair with someone not in the military

[oldsoftie]

37. Or maybe just not have an affair period.

[catsudon]

42. i agree, put me in the i do care if he was in my district.

that is what suppose to make us better than the other shit party.

[Yavin4]

53. Then that same military should be voting for Biden, right? n/t

[barbtries]

15. it plays right into republicans' hands

when the media refuses to discuss the issues.
he didn't kill thousands of people or prop up the president who did. he cheated on his wife. it's bad, but it's not as bad as Tillis! There is no fucking reason for media to do this! It's not the important part.

The important part is reclaiming the Senate. I voted before this scandal broke but not for a second would it have changed my vote. jeez

[mnhtnbb]

21. I just completed my absentee ballot. Voted for Cunningham

Don't these guys in NC remember Edwards? For cryin' out loud.

Trump can pay off a porn star with whom he had intercourse and it makes no difference to his supporters. Democrats need to wise up and recognize that more is at stake than whether some guy inappropriately texted with a woman not his wife. Let Mrs. Cunningham deal with him on that issue.

[BlueStater]

22. Trump has been accused of sexually assaulting over 20 women and raping one.

Of course that’s way worse than having an affair, but Republicans don’t care about being hypocrites and never have.

[oldsoftie]

39. And dont forget, trumps wife had JUST had their BABY when he did it.

Republicans used to care about shit like that. Now i just hear "Well that was way before he became president"

[lostnfound]

41. I seriously don't care if he has had a dozen women. But damn, don't risk control of the Senate!!

If we lose the chance to flip the senate, or narrow the margin, because of this,wow!

[texasfiddler]

23. I have given a lot to his campaign and I have right to be fucking pissed

Cal knew damn well this shit could get out and damage all of us. 42% of this country is batshit crazy and we need all of the swing voters we can get. Do I hope he wins over Tillis? YES. Do I think the people on DU trying to explain how Cal is not as bad as Tillis are correct? YES. Do I think this will hurt his chances in North Carolina? YES. I AM PISSED!!!!!!!!!!

[XanaDUer2]

48. I did too

And im pissed. Personally, I don't care what consenting adults do, but some voters do, and if they're on the fence, this may cause them to not vote for him. So stupid of him. Tillis is awful.

[SoonerPride]

24. I would have said no one cares about trumps affairs

You can’t pretend you care now.

[oldsoftie]

40. Thats exactly what he should do. good idea.

[IronLionZion]

27. Consenting adults texting is so scandalous

[ripcord]

30. What is going to happed if the Reserves announce a courtmarshal before November?

Since he is a Reserve officer he is being investigated under the UMCJ Article 134 for adultery and he made it worse by having an affair with the wife of a former enlisted man.

[FBaggins]

32. I can't imagine that they would be able to so quickly

Plus... it's only a violation if he was on active duty at the time.

I'm just guessing, but I'd also imagine that senate candidates generally defer their active duty periods while they're campaigning - while the affair appears to have been pretty recent. That makes it unlikely that they'll find something they could prosecute.

OTOH... RW sites have been reporting that a former friend is aware of another affair that has been going on for years. If that turns out to be true, he has a larger problem... but in the next three weeks?

[Polybius]

35. Is it too late for him to drop out?

Maybe we can replace him with a better candidate.

[catsudon]

44. i read this

No, they can’t, not this close to the election. So says an attorney for the N.C. State Board of Elections, citing state law.

“A candidate must withdraw more than 60 days prior to the election,” general counsel Katelyn Love said in a Tuesday email sent to the Charlotte Observer by the state elections board. “After that, withdrawal is not permitted and any votes for that candidate will count for that candidate.”

[pandr32]

43. As far as I'm concerned an "affair" involves consent

It is a private matter unless one is pretending religious holier-than-though family values.
Rape, sexual harassment, underage partners, sexual assault, and the like are what would be concerning.

[Warpy]

45. "None of your business" might have been more effective

It's the perfect response to people trying to pry into something that is none of their business.

Unless it's illegal, it's no one eles's businesss,just the parties involved and their spouses.

So he was a dumbass. Who hasn't been at one time or another?

(I'm sick to death of Democrats being held to the standard of Caesar's wife. I'm sure even Calpurnia had the occasional slip)

[mainer]

46. "My private failings don't ruin your lives..."

Meanwhile, my opponent has failed YOU on Covid and now he wants to take away your healthcare."

That's what I would say to the voters.

[Calista241]

47. His press conference, where he tried to get by this, was a shit-show.

The press in NC thinks there are more women, and until he comes clean, this is all he’s going to be talking about.

[Thrax]

49. Girlfriend screwed up.

Should have waited until he was a Senator.
Much more profitable.

[Yavin4]

52. If an NC voter votes against Cunningham because of his affair, then that same voter should be voting

for Biden over Trump. Right?

[applegrove]

54. LOCKING

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