GOP Rivals Jane Norton, Ken Buck Fight Over "High Heels" and Manhood

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Republicans ,; Campaign 2010

Who needs to fight about race when you can fight about gender?

Jane Norton, who is facing off against Ken Buck in the GOP Senate primary in Colorado, has released an ad spotlighting Buck's comment that people should vote for him because he does not "wear high heels."

"Why should you vote for me? Because I do not wear high heels," Buck is shown saying in the spot, in comments he made last week. "I have cowboy boots. They have real bullsh** on them."

Says a narrator: "Now Ken Buck wants to go to Washington? He'd fit right in."

In a statement trumpeting the fact that the ad is going "viral," Norton campaign spokesman Cinamon Watson said, "Ken is going to have to use all of his best lawyer-speak to explain this really stupid statement." Watson went on to argue that the comment could have a significant impact on the race.

In an email to Politico's Ben Smith late yesterday afternoon, Buck spokesman Owen Loftus said, "Obviously, the comment was made in jest after Jane questioned Ken's 'manhood' in her new ad. The Norton campaign has routinely commented about her being a good choice because she is a woman, and [on] her choice of shoes."

Norton previously ran an ad in which she said: "You've seen those ads attacking me. They're paid for by a shady interest group doing the bidding of Ken Buck. You'd think Ken would be man enough to do it himself."

Ken Buck and Jane Norton.

The Colorado primary takes place August 10th. Norton, the former lieutenant governor, is the establishment candidate and has the backing of a number of conservative organizations; she is trailing in the polls to Buck, an insurgent candidate with the support of the Tea Party movement and conservative South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint.

Both candidates agree on most of the issues, as Time reports, railing against big government as well as abortion, illegal immigration, health care reform and same-sex marriage. Their disagreements tend to be rhetorical: After Norton said there is a "real measure of truth" to Tom Tancredo's suggestion that President Obama is the greatest threat America faces, Buck disagreed - saying instead that the greatest threat is the "progressive liberal movement."

Speaking of the Norton "High Heels" spot, an unnamed Republican operative told Politico's Mike Allen that the ad buy will be "significant" and will likely have an impact because the primary is mail-in ballot only and the electorate is mostly female.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by artist4life October 12, 2010 4:12 PM EDT: You forgot to mention that Ken Buck believes, that little girls and women,pregnant by rape, should not have a right to abortions, because it's the will of God, so childless couples can be blessed with children. Before you give me any crap, I'm a survivor of rape, at 15 I was pregnant from rape. Why would we want to go backwards, where Government, tells us what to do with our bodies, most of all after we are raped, living with results of a crime because our Government has control of us. I don't want to support are believe in a Gov or God that treats us this way.; Reply to this comment


by coloradorep July 24, 2010 2:22 PM EDT: Seriously folks we all are taking the political process way to literal. I have meet with Ken Buck numerous times and he is not a racist or a sexist. He is a solid citizen whom anyone would love to have as a next door neighbor - have a cup of coffee or beer with. For you folks out of Colorado, Ken has a sense of humor - something, I believe, we could use more of in DC. He has been continually attacked by Jane Norton with questions about his "manhood" and Jane herself has been playing the gender game promoting that fact she is a female during the campaign. Ken has said nothing about her personal attacks on his "manhood" which have been going on for several weeks until now and when he did say something he was not attacking Jane Norton but rather stating the obvious and if you were to here to see the video the crowd received the statement as it was meant a JOKE.
This whole situation is a perfect characterization of what is wrong with politics today in our PC world. Anything said, anything, anything said can and is often times used as a club to beat or attack. The media is great at taking sound bites and spinning them, agenda minded persons feed on this information and persons under scrutiny spend massive amounts of time defending positions and comments that were taken out of context and consequently we take our eye off the objective and nothing happens. It is all very juvenile - listen to the whole message, stop looking for hidden meanings and behaviors. Finally, lets all get the hell out of our glass houses.; Reply to this comment


by two_step July 24, 2010 1:31 PM EDT: I didn't know who I was going to vote for, until I stumbled upon this article. Ken Buck has my vote. It shouldn't surprise me, but it still does; that people will try to work themselves up over something like this. What he said was true. He knows the value of hard work and he understands that there are inherent differnces between men and women. It's the unwillingness to admit simple truths like this that has led to the unrestrained relative moralism in our nation, where otherwise very smart people don't even know what is true and what is not; what is right and what is wrong.; Reply to this comment


by MurdochSucks July 22, 2010 1:34 PM EDT: Which radical right wing nut job is going to win this GOP primary and demonstrate their ignorance and bigotry? Another seat lost by the extremist Republican party. Put down your bibles and try to love one another instead.; Reply to this comment


by tsigili July 22, 2010 12:24 PM EDT: Pure entertainment, raising the the question of whether either is really the kind of person needed in Washington.; Reply to this comment