Bobby Pulido wants South Texas voters to send him to Congress. First, he would like them to stop taking his own public statements so seriously.
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The Latin Grammy-winning singer and Democratic challenger to Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz is facing renewed scrutiny over offensive social media posts, reports the New York Post. The newspaper describes vulgar remarks directed at women and an exchange making light of sexual violence. Readers need not wade through the explicit language to understand the question: What does this reveal about his judgment?
Pulido’s response, as reported by the Post, is that these were “old jokes” exchanged with friends. He attributes the controversy partly to “Mexican humor,” arguing that sarcasm and slang do not translate well. He also accuses the “woke right” of making an issue of his online history.
The Post itself says both participants in one particularly troubling exchange appeared to be joking. It should be noted that an offensive joke is not evidence that the conduct described actually occurred.
Still, it doesn’t show good judgment. And just because the posts were supposedly between friends, they still were made on public social media posts, so they are not private conversation.
There is a reasonable argument against treating every tasteless remark from years ago as a permanent disqualification for office. People mature and standards change. A candidate should have room to explain what he meant, acknowledge what he got wrong, and demonstrate that he has grown.
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That argument becomes harder to make when the explanation centers on the supposed failings of the people asking questions.
Calling critics the “woke right” may please supporters, but does little to reassure voters who expect a prospective congressman to recognize why his remarks warrant scrutiny.
Invoking Mexican culture is also an unsatisfying defense. No culture speaks with one voice, and voters of Mexican heritage are perfectly capable of deciding whether a particular joke deserves their approval.
Pulido can make his case on policy, experience, and whatever personal growth he believes these old posts obscure. Voters can weigh that explanation.rather than his claim that the audience didn’t get the joke.
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