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| Sheryl Williams Stapleton |
Playing political games associated with the scourge of bigotry can be a tricky business. These games are often most effectively played by Democrats hoping to keep their bigotry-fearing political bases fired up. Republicans sometimes try to play political games with bigotry too, but rarely with any success. Any unscrupulous politician can and will resort to divisive tactics if they think it can give them an edge. Take Governor Rick Perry. Floundering in the polls in recent weeks Perry decided to resort to the reprehensible practice of gay-bashing. He has done so in the hopes that he might pick off a few more votes from those who can’t come to grips with the fact that not everyone is a heterosexual. Perry's cynical tactic will fail. Take Sheryl Williams Stapleton. Stapleton is the Majority Whip in the New Mexico House of Representatives. Over the years Stapleton has gotten plenty of mileage out of the subtle practice of playing the ever-divisive race card. An example of one of her race groupings statements was made way back in the campaign of 2004: "African-Americans need to understand that the outcome of November's election is going to affect the lives of their children and their children's future. So, it's important they make themselves aware of issues affecting us statewide and get involved in their communities." In the 2006 campaign Stapleton accused CPA Demesia Padilla (now NM Dept. of Taxation and Revenue Secretary) of showing "blatant racism."
Attempting to segregate voters based on race is pretty much the favorite arrow in Stapleton's political strategy quiver. Ironically, every two years Stapleton has also been able to successfully cultivate a feeling of ethnic coalition with traditional Democratic Party Hispanic voters in her district. One of her primary themes has been that Hispanic voters should support her because she is willing to thwart the demonic and often racially motivated efforts of white men and women….. in the other party.On Wednesday Stapleton’s race baiting political boat sprung a major leak when she referred to Governor Martinez as "The Mexican on the 4th Floor." Before she could bail her own dirty water out of her own race baiting boat, it capsized in the Roundhouse Media River of Santa Fe. By Thursday Stapleton was in full damage control mode. She issued a tearful apology in front of a sea of media cameras. However, right after she expressed remorse to Governor Susana Martinez via sound bytes, she fired a fresh barrage of blame-shifting political salvos at Senator Vernon Asbill of Eddy County.
Unfortunately, Sheryl Williams Stapleton is a poster child for what is wrong with New Mexico politics. She has constructed a political career on a foundation of ethnic suspicions and racial divisions. When summarizing what happened to her on Wednesday, Stapleton was partially correct. She did, "lose it." But what Stapleton did not accurately reveal is exactly what she actually lost. What Stapleton lost wasn't so much her temper as it was the important political cover she has enjoyed for her cynical race baiting tactics. This is valuable cover she has used repeatedly to divide her district’s voters along racial and ethnic lines. 
The conduct of Stapleton provides very strong indications that she does not believe the racial protocols she applies so aggressively to others, also apply to her. The catalyst for the “incident” on Wednesday actually began a couple of months ago with Stapleton becoming absolutely livid over KRQE TV investigative reporter Larry Barker’s exposure of her collusion with Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Winston Brooks. Together Brooks and Stapleton nodded and winked about the violation of compensation policies that applied at APS. This collusion cost NM taxpayers more than $160,000. Add to this scandal the fact that taxpayer's money was also used to build a wing of a building that was later named after, you guessed it, Representative Sheryl Williams Stapleton, and you begin to get the big picture here.
The conduct of Stapleton provides very strong indications that she does not believe the racial protocols she applies so aggressively to others, also apply to her. The catalyst for the “incident” on Wednesday actually began a couple of months ago with Stapleton becoming absolutely livid over KRQE TV investigative reporter Larry Barker’s exposure of her collusion with Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Winston Brooks. Together Brooks and Stapleton nodded and winked about the violation of compensation policies that applied at APS. This collusion cost NM taxpayers more than $160,000. Add to this scandal the fact that taxpayer's money was also used to build a wing of a building that was later named after, you guessed it, Representative Sheryl Williams Stapleton, and you begin to get the big picture here. 
Questions remain. Will the House Majority Whip face a primary opponent in June? Only time will tell. What course of political path will Stapleton follow now that she has issued a damage control oriented apology for referring to Susana Martinez as “The Mexican on the Fourth Floor?” The betting is her most likely next step will be somewhat ironic. Stapleton will probably retreat to the Sheryl M. Williams Stapleton wing of the diversity-oriented African American Performing Arts Center and Exhibit Hall in Albuquerque. In that building, a place where the "content of character" is revered as the standard of judgment, rather than "the color of a person's skin," Stapleton will no doubt go about the business of calculating her next political move.
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