Sorry, ladies, but you only get a free pass if the media thinks you're hot

I guess people are supposed to just vote blindly for Jan Brewer and Sharron Angle because of what they blather. Because being asked questions seems somehow "unfair" to stupid, moronic, ignorant candidates who might have to actually talk about their policies on the spur of the moment rather than just spout babbling talking points.

First it was Sharron Angle saying that reporters should only ask the questions her campaign wants them to:

Now, after her meltdown during her most recent debate where she couldn't talk about her own policies, Arizona governor Jan Brewer says she won't do any more debates:

Incumbent Republican Jan Brewer said Thursday she has no intention of participating in any more events with Democrat Terry Goddard. She said the only reason she debated him on Wednesday is she had to to qualify for more than $1.7 million in public funds for her campaign.

"I certainly will take my message in a different venue out to the people of Arizona," she said.

Brewer said she has been in elective office for 28 years, and Goddard has held office for nearly that long. "I think it's pretty defined what he stands for and what I stand for."

Anyway, Brewer said, she believes the debates help Goddard more than they benefit her.

"Why would I want to give Terry a chance to redefine himself?" she said.

Brewer conceded that her performance in Wednesday's debate, and her refusal to answer a question from reporters afterward, was not well-handled. That includes an opening statement when she lost her train of thought and went silent, and walking away after the event rather than answering questions about her prior statements about headless bodies in the desert.

Brewer blamed part of her post-debate activities on her gaffe in her opening statement. The governor also said she presumed reporters would want to talk to her about some of the issues raised during the hour-long, televised debate.

"All you guys were doing and talking were beheadings, beheadings, beheadings," the governor said. "That is something that has stuck with you all for so long, and I just felt we needed to move on."

The subject came up during an exchange in which Brewer said unions are to blame for financial fallout over illegal immigration, calling on Goddard to disavow unions' support because they have called for boycotts of the state.

Goddard responded that it is actually Brewer scaring off tourists with comments about headless bodies being found in the desert, for which there is no supporting evidence.

Brewer insisted later that she has been misquoted. "I never said 'Arizona,' and it's unfortunate that it was construed as 'Arizona.' "

It's hardly surprising that Angle and Brewer would be baffled that they don't get a free pass when they show that they don't know a damn thing. These people want to be able to just spout whatever horsepuckey pops into their heads -- spoiled Americans....beheadings....unemployment is useless....with absolutely no consequences. After all, Sarah Palin gets away with spouting meaningless babble composed entirely of disjointed talking points, why shouldn't they?

And indeed, that's an interesting question. There's no quantifiable difference between the kind of dangerous, ridiculous nonsense spouted by Angle and Brewer and that spouted by Palin -- except that Palin's comes out of a younger, more physically attractive package. You'd think that two women who have reached middle age in our society would have recognized that double standard already.

But the larger picture is that these Tea Party candidates are all about the sloganeering. It's like their minions who talk about wanting to vote for someone who "loves the Constitution" or "will govern by the Constitution" -- when most of them don't even know what's in it. They don't feel they should have to be coherent, or defend their policy plans. After all, Sarah doesn't have to, and she gets LOTS of fawning attention.