Sunday, November 25, 2012

VA Attorney General receives “Turkey of the Year” award from ProgressVA


ProgressVA awarded its “Turkey of the Year” award to Virginia’s tea party crush, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.[1]

The “Turkey of the Year” award is given out to political figures in Virginia who pursue agendas inimical to Virginia’s middle and working classes, their rights and socioeconomic positions.

In 2011, Gov. Bob McDonnell received the Turkey of the Year award for “his extraordinary use of budget gimmicks and refusal to take a balanced approach to Virginia’s budget,” according to ProgressVA.[2]

Cuccinelli, on the other hand, was granted ProgressVA’s award “in recognition of his pursuit of an extreme ideological agenda at the expense of Virginia families.” Further, Cuccinelli’s use of his position as Virginia’s attorney general “to advance his own partisan views instead of putting Virginia first,” makes Cuccinelli the rightful recipient of the 2012 Turkey of the Year award.[3]

And while the award is intended to highlight the tremendously flawed policy positions that Cuccinelli has taken during his tenure as attorney general, the award’s effect on public opinion in Virginia is open to question.

In a way, the attempt by ProgressVA to amuse and highlight the policy flaws of elected officials intersects one another in unfavorable ways. On the one hand, ProgressVA wants to raise awareness over Attorney General Cuccinelli’s “partisan views,” but this point can get lost in the lightheartedness of the “Turkey of the Year” award.

If Cuccinelli’s political positions are so bad, then a much more appropriate “award” should be given out, like the “Rights Violations Award,” or something similar. Such an award would make it clear for Virginians what the award is for and that while it might be worth a laugh or two, the ramifications are quite serious.

Turkey, how about demagogue? How about ideological hack? It makes a lot more sense than calling Cuccinelli a “turkey.”  


[1] http://hamptonroads.com/2012/11/cuccinelli-gets-gobbler-mock-award
[2] http://www.progressva.org/
[3] http://hamptonroads.com/2012/11/cuccinelli-gets-gobbler-mock-award

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