Personal space

WE’VE HEARD a lot about how women are treated in our society over the last couple years in the MeToo era. And most of what’s come out of that cultural movement has been positive, with women facing people who’ve wronged them.

It’s certainly a conversation worth having, and a culture worth changing. But the movement shouldn’t be about politics, and liberals and conservatives definitely shouldn’t be able to weaponize it.

Over the last couple elections, Democrats have tried to scare up a War on Women. But here in Arkansas, it’s the Republican Party that has more elected women in the Legislature and candidates like Leslie Rutledge, who became the first woman to hold the office of state attorney general.

So what happens when a video starts making the rounds showing a wellknown and aggravated Democratic legislator violating the personal space of a Republican woman after a candidate forum? Does he get a pass because in the past he’s been a progressive politician?

On Tuesday night, Rep. Greg Leding (D-Fayetteville) and Republican opponent Dawn Clemence took part in a candidate forum. And after the event, videos show Rep. Leding walk over to the stage his opponent is standing on and heatedly discuss something with her, complete with finger pointing and all.

Then, videos show him hopping up on the stage and getting a little too close for comfort as he continues to have this heated discussion. It ends with him placing a hand on her shoulder, and that’s where any referees standing nearby should have thrown a flag. Political candidates don’t need to lay hands on each other at any given point in the campaign, especially during an intense debate. They weren’t telling jokes at lunch.

Rep. Leding apologized later for “patting” her shoulder after their exchange. From his account of events, he said his opponent called out from stage following the debate, so he hopped up on the stage so she wouldn’t have to “lean down to talk.” OK, fair enough so far.

But two different videos then show her backing up and him taking steps forward while they continue to exchange words on stage. Neither video gives us the exact audio of what Rep. Leding and his opponent discuss, and that’s disappointing. But it doesn’t look good for a socalled progressive to appear aggressive on camera toward a female opponent.

In a statement distributed by the Democratic Party of Arkansas, Rep. Leding admits to being frustrated. And that’s understandable. It’s common for politicians to get passionate and heated at debates. What’s not acceptable is violating the personal space and even slightly laying a hand on your opponent after the debate. The only contact political opponents need after a debate is a handshake. Mitts off, man.