Freshman Congressman Mike Bishop, a Rochester Republican, got into a bit of hot water yesterday when he wrote a Facebook post essentially mocking the ethnic name of his election opponent, Suzanna Shkreli.
Bishop dismissed the Clarkston Democrat’s chances of winning in part because she has a surname that “no one can pronounce.”
The folks at the liberal website Daily Kos immediately pounced, accusing Bishop of engaging in “dog whistle” politics that perks up those within a bigoted GOP bloc. The Daily Kos noted that the challenger’s name is pronounced phonetically, “sh–krell– ee.”
It’s certainly not as WASP-ish as “Bishop,” but I suspect ethnic voters were insulted. Shkreli is of Albanian descent and critics say Bishop’s remark could be viewed as a Trump-like comment (“We think the judge is a Mexican.”)
The post, which has been taken down, included a John Wayne meme with a quote that is apparently fake.
The angle Bishop takes is that Rep. Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats are ready to pour some money into the race in the 8th District (northern Oakland County and Livingston and Ingham counties) because Shkreli, a political newcomer, “is unknown, without a record to run on, and because no one can pronounce her name.”
Shkreli replaced actress Melissa (“Little House on the Prairie”) Gilbert in August after Gilbert suddenly withdrew from the race, citing health problems.
I suspect Shkreli, a Macomb County assistant prosecutor who specializes in convicting child abusers, is thrilled to get financial help from the national Democratic strategists.
I also wonder if Bishop is a bit concerned by an internal poll taken a month ago, before Shkreli’s campaign had geared up, that showed him with just 53 percent support in a marginally Republican district. Could that be his high-water mark?
Bishop
I realize that Bishop has spent his life in a rather affluent, homogenous area of Oakland County. But I suspect voters in neighboring Macomb County would find Bishop’s snide comment about Shkreli’s name rather infuriating. After all, here in Macomb County we elect Chrzanowskis and Servittos and Switalskis and Vivianos. And we don’t have much trouble with pronunciation.
There’s no law in Macomb that says you have to have a last name ending in a vowel to run for office. But if that issue was put on the ballot it would probably pass.
The only Bishops we have around here are in the Catholic Church.
good peach