Gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross

And this drek from Virginia candiate James [Jim] Webb is not even redeemed by being marginally good writing. [Be warned that the content I’m sending you to is very graphic.]

Hat tip: Drudge

UPDATE: My first take on Webb’s writing was as you see it — his stuff is gross and badly written. To me, that indicts him as a writer, but the question remains whether it indicts him as a politician. Michelle Malkin points out that Lynn Cheney and Scooter Libby both wrote sexual stuff that describes acts outside of the mainstream (especially Libby). However, neither was running for office and the question remains whether that material should have or would have reflected badly on them if they had run for office. There’s no doubt but that, because Cheney was the wife of a Veep candidate, the media was all over her writing. I therefore expect the same from them regarding Webb’s writing — although my expectations may not be met.

More to the point is the purpose behind any distasteful material included in a book. For example, at Flopping Aces, where Curt has an amazing knack for finding in-depth information, you can see a YouTube video showing brief quotations from racially charged material in Webb’s books. The problem is that I don’t know the context for those quotations. If I, as an author, wished to show that my characters were morally reprehensible, I might put the “n” word in their mouths. It would be a disturbing reflection on me as an author, though, if I put the same words in my hero’s mouth. Suddenly, that would be a David Duke book, and not an exciting good guy (not racist)/bad guy (racist) thriller.
Curt highlights something more disturbing even than the YouTube video, however, which is the incestuous pedophilia that crops up in one of Webb’s books. This time, Curt includes at his blog a post that has lengthy passages from the book. In none of those passages does the author’s tone indicate moral disapproval. Again, though, I lack context. Draw back from those tight quotations and you may discover that Webb is describing a scene set in the heart of “bad guy land.” In that case, this appalling act might be artistically justified. After all, they’re not going to be unsympathetic bad guys if they behave badly.

In any event, the campaign between Webb and Allen seems to be one of the nastiest I can remember, which charges of racism and perverted sexuality flying. I wouldn’t be surprised if many felt inclined to throw up their hands in digust and walk away. I wouldn’t do that, though. I still think the larger picture in Congress demands that those who believe in the conservative agenda need to hold their nose and vote for Allen.